Tribulations of the Tower - Broken
I awoke sitting in a chair, a large, ornamental affair with gilded sides, and a plush velvet cushion. On the other side of the long mahogany table sat the personification of the sun. Her mane waved and snapped within its’ magical breeze, and her horn glowed with a soft golden light as she lifted a cup of tea to her lips.
“If you sit there and stare Twilight, I may begin to wonder about you,” she said with a touch of a smile upon her lips.
I blushed and looked away. “Sorry Princess, I’m just confused. I don’t remember how I got here.”
She sat down her cup, and looked at me across the table with her beautiful light purple eyes. “Well, I do not know for sure, but I would imagine you got up, got out of bed, and walked down here, yes?”
I laughed, but still it bothered me. I really didn’t remember how I got down here. For that matter, I didn’t even know where I was. I had grown up in this castle, and while I hadn’t seen every single room, I had seen enough to know this one shouldn’t be there.
Celestia must have noticed my reservation, for she once again spoke. “Is something wrong, my student?”
I sighed, resigned to my fate. “I just don’t know what’s going on. I could have sworn that Chrysalis took over Equestria, and banished you, and killed Shining Armor and Spike, and I was her prisoner. I just don’t understand how you are here now, and have even less of an idea of where I am. This room isn’t like any other in the castle.”
Celestia sighed. “Very good, you caught on quickly,” she said with Chrysalis’ hissing tongue.
“W-What?” I jumped back out of my chair, reaching for the magic inside, only to find a void of nothingness instead.
The world twisted and warped, shattering like so many broken panes of glass. Chunks began to fall away, stretching away into the infinity held within the mouth of a creature so foul it’s name hasn’t been spoken for centuries. The shards of reality melted, coalescing into fantastic rainbows of liquid color, flowing freely across the planes of space and time. Thoughts flew, becoming entities of their own before being crushed by the Beast below. Through it all I fell, down into the maw of the waiting destruction, screaming all the way down.
Year Two of the Takeover
Day ???:
I woke with a start, quickly giving myself a once over to ensure I was still alive. Obviously, I was, though I wonder if it was truly a good thing or not. I groaned, slowly rolling off the small cot, and onto my hooves. I paced over to the door, looking out into the long, dark hallway beyond. Nothing was out there, as usual, and not a sound could be heard save the little intricacies of life underground.
I sighed, and took the five steps it took to reach the wall opposite the door. The whole cell was small, obviously meant solely to annoy me.
The sad part was, it was working.
I have been locked down here since Chrysalis... since my stunt with the Archives. At first, I held out hope that it was going to be another brief punishment, and I was going to go back like last time. Then a week passed, then two, and three. A month, two months, three months, I have no idea anymore.
The cell doesn’t bother me anymore. I got used to the size and the damp relatively quickly. It is the lack of other ponies that gets to me, but judging by my dream, it isn’t that bad. If I can’t find anypony to keep me company, I’ll just create my own.
I sat in the middle of the floor, in a familiar position. I opened my mind, searching for the magic that had left me after my fight with Chrysalis. Just as I had done every day since I started waking up consistently. As always, I felt the spark that was there, the spark that allowed me the simplest spells, but did not feel the torrent that I used to house. That, it seemed, was still out of my reach.
There I sat, all day, not even noticing they forgot to bring me food again. I had some stored from the days it hurt too much to eat, and the pile will probably tide me over until they see fit to feed me again, unless they have decided to just let me die. I’m okay with that too.
Day ???:
Today it happened, it finally happened. I was sitting in my customary spot when I felt something click. Suddenly, the world was thrown into light as magic once again filled my mind. For the first time in too long, I was no longer held in my prison. I shall hide this, until I can use it to enact my escape.
To where, I do not know...
Day ???:
Once again, I find it difficult to sleep. And since I can’t sleep, and have no reason to meditate for my magic, I must think. I think... that thinking is painful...
Of course, it is hard to think whenever you focus and you see the image of your brother being melted from the inside out, skin clear as the noonday sky; or one of your closest friends, a dragon, almost like a child to you, getting his head sliced off by the...the thing that also banished your l-- your favorite teacher and sovereign.
It is hard to do sometimes, and I’m beginning to wonder if it would just be better to ignore the food that arrives sporadically and just let it all...fade. But I know I can’t do that. Eventually, I will escape. I will find the Element bearers, and we will take back Equestria!
Even if I have to die trying.
Day ???:
“Let GO of me, you bug-eyed bastard!”
“Tough talk from a traitor. Come on, spill. What are the resistance’s splinter cells, and where are they based at?”
I heard what sounded like somepony spitting. “Like I’ll ever tell you, or that bitch of a-- AAAAAGH”
“Well, there is always tomorrow,”a sick thud, like somepony getting hit in the side of the head. Hard. “Take him back to his cell...”
A door nearby clanged open, and I hastily shut my eyes, praying they weren’t coming for me next. The sound of hoofsteps echoed down the hallway to my cell before a door, presumably the one next to mine, was pulled open with a mighty creak, and slammed shut with a deep, reverberating boom!
I waited for the steps to fade away before making my move. Trotting silently over to the door, I stuck my muzzle up next to the grill. “Psst. Psst! Is anypony there?” I asked, in my best carrying whisper.
“T-Twilight? Twilight Sparkle? Is that...is that you?” I heard moments later. The voice sounded familiar, though it was slurred and grated, as though the owner had made a habit of not speaking for a while.
I was instantly cautious. “Maybe. Who is there?”
“It...It’s Zil,” the voice replied. “Is that really you Twilight?”
I was stunned. I had seen Zil lying still on the floor of the great hall when Chrysalis killed-- had me locked up down here. How could he be alive? “Yes! It’s me Zil! What is going on? Are you ok?” I couldn’t help myself. I had been stuck down here for Celestia knows how long without a friendly face, and now Zil was down here with me. While I may not be quite happy with him, mostly because I’m pretty sure he set up the ambush at the library, at least I had someone to talk to now.
“Wait... How do I know it is really you? I wouldn’t put it past Commander Bane or Chrysalis to have another changeling take your form to try and trick me. YOU HEAR THAT, YOU CRAZY BITCH?! I’M ONTO YOUR TRICKS! YOU WON’T GET ANYTHING OUT OF ME, GOT IT?! NOT A SINGLE! FUCKING! WORD!” He continued shouting to the heavens for some time, but I wasn’t paying attention.
The only friend I have here is crazy, and he doesn’t even believe that I am me.
Day ???:
Darkness. A pit deeper than anything I have ever seen before, and I’m falling in it. She reached out a hoof to help me, to catch me and stop my fall, but I was too afraid to reach up and take it; too afraid that she wouldn’t care.
Day ???:
“Hiya Twilight! How are ya doin?” The perky voice roused me from my uneasy slumber. I opened my eyes and noticed that during the night Chrysalis had decided to redo my cell in pink, how kind of her. No, wait a minute, that was Pinkie Pie!
“P-Pinkie Pie?! What are you doing here?” I asked, quickly sitting up and staring at the pink party pony. The last time I had seen her, she was locked into a cell, then supposedly dumped into the Crystal Mines below the castle. How had she gotten up here?
“Duh, I came to get you out, silly,” she said, gesturing to the door. “Rarity, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash are waiting for us outside, so let’s go!” She grabbed my hoof, and started dragging me out the door.
I went along willing enough, but sobs coming from the cell next to me quickly drew my attention. “Wait a minute Pinkie, I have to get someone.”
“Twiiiliight, we need to gooo,” still, she let me go, and I rushed over to Zil’s cell.
“Zil? Zil are you in there?” I asked, looking into his dark cell. I spotted a dark spot lying on the bed, and kept saying his name until he stirred, raising his head to look at me.
“Twilight? Is that you?” He asked with the same raspy voice he had when he first arrived. He looked at me, horn flashing briefly. Whatever his spell did, it placated him, for he jumped up and rushed over to the door to look at me through the bars. “Twilight! Thank the heavens you’re ok! Chrysalis told me she killed you after she caught us in the library. They... They pumped me for information about the resistance. I’ve held out for the most part, but it’s just getting worse..”
“Well,” I said, unlocking the door, “it’s a good thing we’re breaking out then! One of my friends is here to get us out, then we are meeting with the others.”
“Really? To my knowledge, all of your friends are gone.”
What? “No, Pinkie Pie is right here, come out and see.” I swung the door open, inviting him to leave
Pinkie gasped. “It’s a changeling! Look out Twilight, I’ll protect you!” She ran in front of me, planting herself firmly between us. “Stay back you nasty changeling. Leave us alone!”
“Pinkie,” I tried to interrupt.
“I won’t let you hurt her, or take me back to that horrible, horrible cave!”
“...Pinkie-”
“Take this!” She shouted, spinning onto her forehooves to attempt some kind of kick at Zil.
“PINKIE!!” I shouted, stopping her mid-kick and making her fall to the floor.
“Ow...” she rubbed her head where it had hit the floor. “What’s the matter Twilight?”
“That’s Zil. Yes, he is a changeling, but he is my friend. If we are leaving, so is he.” I said, giving Pinkie my most don’t-you-dare-argue stare.
Zil bowed. “Pleasure to meet you, ma’am. I am Zil, undercover agent for the resistance.”
Pinkie jumped up onto all four hooves, shaking off her spill like it was nothing. “Hi! I’m Pinkie Pie! If Twilight says you are ok, then you are ok with-OOMF!” Right as she was about to finish her statement, Zil tackled her, sending the pink pony back to the ground, though this time with the added weight of a changeling on top.
“Zil!” I cried, astonished. “What are you doing?!”
“Shush Twilight, this isn’t Pinkie Pie,” he said, casting a spell on her.
“What are you talking...about...?” My voice slowed to a halt when Zil’s magic glow encompassed my pinkest friend, making her shimmer, then turn into a changeling. “What...?”
ZIl grabbed the former Pinkie Pie’s head, and slammed it into the ground below with a sickening crunch. “It was a changeling, obviously, probably sent by Chrysalis to do something to you.
I heard a slow clapping sound from the stairs. “Very observant of you, Zil.” That voice, I knew that voice, but I couldn't remember from where, until Chrysalis herself walked down the stairs, adorned with her twisted accoutrements of office, stopping right before us. “Sadly, for you and little Twilight Sparkle, it is already too late.” With no warning, she grabbed Zil in her magic, and threw him through a wall, killing him instantly. She turned to me, picking me up in the same draining magic aura, before launching me towards the ground.
Day ???:
I woke with a start, screaming at the top of my lungs. I took a quick inventory: I was still in my bed, no Pinkie Pies were in sight, I had all of my limbs, my tail, and my horn. Everything seemed perfectly fine.
It must have been just another dream... They were getting worse, and longer.
I don’t know how much more of this I can take.
Day ???:
As thou wishes Dearest Sister. We shall try, for as long as we can.
I stretched, nuzzling down into the fluffy pillow under my head, trying to convince myself I just wanted to go back to sleep. I had just about managed it when a voice called me from downstairs
“Twilight! Twi-light!” the voice called, getting closer and closer as it approached. “Come on, Twilight, you have to get up so we can go help Fluttershy with those plants she needs!” A purple dragon poked his head into the room. “Come on, lazy bones, let’s go.”
I groaned, peeling my eyes open. I raised my head, looking over at the doorway. For some reason part of me wanted to cry when Spike walked in the room. I’m so happy he’s ok! Wait... Why wouldn’t he be? He hasn’t done anything dangerous in a long time. “I’m up, I’m up. I’ll be down in a minute, Spike!”
“You better, or I’ll get Rainbow Dash to come in here with a stormcloud again.” A snicker proceeded the clink of scales on hard wood. Yeah, definitely going to get up before he does that again. I don’t want to spend my day airing and drying out my room, and possibly...volunteering...a certain cyan pegasus to help Rarity with her dresses.
Wow, I’m getting mean.
Anyway, I pulled myself out of bed, shaking my frazzled mane and tail to try and bring them under some form of control before slowly making my way downstairs, hooves falling heavily on the ground with each step.
A clear night of sleep, and this is what she dreams of? A normal day in Ponyville?
Hush, if you had been through the same thing, you would dream of normalcy too.
I did, sister, I did.
An hour and a half later, Spike and I left the library, beginning the trek to Fluttershy’s rustic cottage on the edge of the Everfree Forest. Along the way, we dropped off a book on the latest planting and harvest techniques to Applejack. We stayed to chat for awhile, but our quest took us onwards, and hers led back to the fields.
Sometimes before noon, we arrived at our destination. Raising my hoof, I knocked on the door of the shy pegasus mare, drawing back to ensure I didn’t scare her when she opened the door. Fluttershy cautiously opened her door, and poked her head out. Noticing who was paying her a visit, she drew back, opening her door wider. Her eyes sparkled as she gave us a small, warm smile.
“Hi Twilight, hi Spike.”
“Hi Fluttershy,” we said at the same time, before I took the reigns of the conversation. “Ready to start?” I asked.
She nodded, gesturing us inside. “Hello Twilight, hello Spikey,” came a voice from the kitchen.
“H-Hi Rarity,” Spike said, practically melting onto the floor.
I stifled a giggle. “Hey Rarity, I didn’t know that you were coming to help too.”
“Oh. darling I would love to, but I’m just so busy with the spring fashion season going on, on top of another order from Hoity Toity’s shop in Canterlot, I just don’t have the time. I just stopped by for a quick word with Fluttershy. She was just so devastated that I was going to miss our weekly spa date I had to pay her a surprise visit,” the whole time, Fluttershy was nodding beside me.
“Anyway,” Rarity continued after Fluttershy finished her bobblehead impersonation, “I must be off. Orders to fill. Talk to you later Twilight!” She stood up, and headed towards the door
“Rarity, wait!” Spike called, causing the alabaster unicorn to stop and look over her shoulder. “Um, would you... I mean... Do you need help? With your orders, I mean?” Spike asked, looking over at Rarity with hope-filled eyes.
“Well, an extra pair of hooves, or hands, would be a lot of help. Twilight...?” she looked over at me, and to a lesser extent, Fluttershy.
“It’ll be fine, if it’s ok with Twilight,” the pegasus said, deferring all judgement to me.
I nodded.
Rarity nodded back. “Ok Spike, let’s go then.”
“Ok! Cya later Twilight!” he said, bounding after my friend, spirits lifted to untold levels. I just shook my head.
“Don’t stay out too late!” I shouted after them as they trotted down the path. I looked back at Fluttershy with a smile played across my lips. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a shadow sprint from the front door, to the kitchen, but paid it no mind. “Ok Fluttershy, what’s first on the list?”
“Um,” she looked around, eyes eventually settling on a scroll sitting on her table. “Ah!” she exclaimed--quietly--before unrolling it with her muzzle and looking it over. “Well, we need some Moon’s Majesty, some Sneezeroot, a teensy bit of Hayseed, and a Winking Dragoneye,” she said, bobbing her head with each item on the list.
“Alrighty then, you know where to go, so lead the way,” I said, levitating the list with my lavender aura of magic and stashing it safely in my saddlebag. We set off into the Everfree Forest, after gathering some basic provisions, in the direction of Zecora’s Hut, as Fluttershy had spotted some Hayseed growing along the path.
Almost as soon as we set off the path, Fluttershy crouched down, and picked a plant from the ground. She placed it in the other pocket of my saddlebag, she looked up at me. “Ok, got it.”
Crossing our loot off of the list, I checked it over once again. Looking at the pegasus’ neat mouthwriting, I divined our next target. “Ok, next is Sneezeroot. What do you need that for?”
Silence answered.
“Fluttershy?” I asked, becoming worried as the darkness closed in. The sounds of the Everfree intensified, adding to my anxiety. I frantically looked around, ears drooping as I searched for any sign of my lost friend.
Your power is waning, Luna.
We know. Her magic is powerful. We do not know how much longer we can keep a safe dream for young Twilight Sparkle.
Well... Can you wake her up then, and let your energy return?
Yes... Yes we can do that.
*****
I awoke in my cell from a restful sleep for once. Looking around, I could almost sense a presence of peace, one of familiarity. The feeling didn’t last nearly long enough for me to discern what it was, too quickly being replaced by the cold and damp I had become accustomed to in my stay here.
Either way, my rest has cast some clarity on my world, and I have an idea...
Day ???:
Ok, this has to work this time. I am a pony on a mission, and I will not be denied! I poked my muzzle to the window of the door, looking anxiously out of it. “Noting no guards in my immediate line of sight, I put my brilliant plan into action. “Psst,” I whispered out the lattice of bars. “Zil, are you there?”
I heard nothing but the dripping of water somewhere nearby. Always the persistent pony, I tried again.
“Zil, please Zil if you’re there, talk to me.” I added a little bit of whine to my voice, hoping to draw out his gentle(colt?) side. Apparently, it worked.
“Hello, Maybe-Twilight. How are you today?” came from the cell next to me. The same voice I knew as Zil’s, mixed with the echoes of my dream...
“I’m not Maybe-Twilight, I am Twilight,” I replied, without thinking.
“Well, I don’t know that. A changeling could sound like Twilight, and it could be that crazy bitch trying to get more information out of me by using a friendly guise. It’s one of the many tactics in the book, I’ve even done it a couple of times.”
Ok, really didn’t want to know that my closest friend here had tortured ponies. “How can I prove it then.”
There was a pause before his reply came. “Well, a changeling can’t mimic the magic aura of a unicorn. Magic something I can see, and I shall believe you are who you say.”
Well, great. The fact I had rediscovered my magic is the only thing I knew that Chrysalis didn’t. If Zil wasn’t really Zil, I would be willingly giving away the one advantage I held. It was just a risk I would have to take. I noticed a bucket down the hall, and called his attention to it.
“That bucket there, Zil, do you see it?” I asked, sweating worse than I had working the Applebucking Season with Applejack.
“Yes,” came the skeptical reply.
Slowly, I concentrated, quickly falling back into the role I held for years. Reaching out with my will, I enveloped the bucket in a light sheen of lavender aura, lifting it off the ground until I heard the gasp from the next cell over.
“Twilight! It really is you! Oh, gods I’m glad you’re ok. Chrysalis told me... told me she had killed you. I couldn’t stop blaming myself. I should have stopped you from going to the library, Twilight. I’m so sorry. It’s my fault you’re down here, not yours. If I had stopped you, you wouldn’t be rotting away in this dungeon. I just hope they feed you somewhat better than they feed me. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve been fed in two or three days and I--”
He seemed to be losing steam, so I knew I had to cut in here. “Zil, you couldn’t have stopped me. I’m somewhat glad I’m here, it means Chrysalis can’t use me and my ideas to hurt any more ponies. She has already done enough...” Subconsciously, I repressed a shudder, until I remembered I was alone. I let out a tiny sob, cutting it off before it could turn into a full waterfall of tears.
The pause was almost heavy, holding substance in the air. “...are you crying?” Zil asked.
“No,” I tried to answer between my heavy, but silent sobs. He continued talking for awhile, probably trying to calm me down, but I didn’t hear. I was too busy lying on my hard, uncomfortable, damp bed crying. Crying for all the damage I had caused. Crying for all the ponies who had died. Crying for Celestia, and Luna, and Spike, and Shining Armor.
I cried for the death of Equestria itself.
Day ???:
I’m screaming. Screaming as I tumble and fall through differing patches of dark and light. Sometimes, I see faces in the dark, faces of friends, of family, of ponies I didn’t really know and faces of ponies I’d never seen before. None of them noticed me, and each seemed to be busy with something.
As time wore on, the faces became more and more scarred, showing signs of battles taking place across the nation as ponies rebel against their bug-ish oppressors. The last thing I saw before all became pitch black was Celestia, falling from a pedestal down into the depths of nothingness.
Day ???:
I awoke in the Everfree forest, saddlebag with the list of required flowers still strapped firmly to my back. Clenched between my teeth were the Hayseeds, which I quickly spit out into a pocket of my saddlebag, hurrying to get the acrid taste out of my mouth. Just as I was about to renew my search for Fluttershy, she stepped out of the bush to my left
“Oh, sorry Twilight. I just saw this in the bush over there, and got it as kind of a surprise...” she said around the bright rose between her teeth. She stuck it in my mane, fixing it so it wouldn’t fall out before giving me a small smile.
…Really Luna?
Hush, sister, we are concentrating.
“There,” the yellow pegasus said, “now we can keep going. What’s next on the list?”
“It, uh, it’s... it’s sneezeroot. Yeah...” I stuttered and mumbled my way through the sentence, stunned like a lovestruck filly. Smooth, really smooth.
“Ok,” Fluttershy replied simply before starting to walk away from me, humming a directionless tune as she meandered around, searching for our prize.
What... What just happened? I shook my head, clearing my mind before following the oddly perky pegasus through the forest. We stopped at the edge of a clearing... well, I stopped, Fluttershy kind of hopped backwards and quickly darted behind me. “Fluttershy... are you ok?” I asked, keeping my voice down in case there was some ferocious beast in there that was scaring her, though if it was an animal Fluttershy was afraid of, I don’t think I want to tangle with it either.
“I, um, I don’t think we should go in there...” she replied in a very small voice, one that barely made it to my ears.
“Ok,” I shrugged, “then we’ll go around.”
“No, we can’t do that,” she replied in a stern voice. “Sorry, but that is the only place sneezeroot grows outside of Las Pegasus. We have to go in... there...”
“Well, do you want to stay here?” She nodded vigorously. “Fine, wait here, I’ll take care of it.” I strolled forward without further preamble, bursting confidently from the cover of the foliage into the bright, sunny clearing. I don’t know what Fluttershy is talking about. This clearing isn’t....so.....bad....? My train of thought was forcibly derailed as shadows swarmed around me, filling the clearing with some odd bug creatures. They had horns like unicorns, but wings like flies. Their tails were torn and broken to match their holed legs, and they walked with unmistakable menace.
I sprinted back towards Fluttershy, intent on getting both of us out of here alive--to Tartarus with the stupid sneezeroot-- to be stopped by a bigger one. Aside from the size difference, he carried an aura of command, and was wearing silver armor with a broadsword strapped across his back.
“Hello. Twilight Sparkle,” he said in a deep voice.
“W-Who are you and how do you know my name?” I asked backing up until I ran into another of the bug-creatures. I jumped back and looked around; I was surrounded on all sides, the center of a circle of malice and hate.
He just laughed. “All in good time, Sparkle. Well, maybe not...” He grinned at his soldiers as they formed a tighter circle around us. “Sorry to say, Queen Chrysalis sent me here to kill you.”
Luna, do something!
All the blood drained from my face. “W-Who? And why? I haven’t done anything to anypony...”
We are trying. Chrysalis’ magic is strong.
“Well, I suppose it won’t really matter if you are dead. I am Commander Bane, in charge of the changeling takeover of Equestria.” As if on cue, all of the bugs--changelings--saluted him before returning their attention to me.
I gave him another once over. Now that I know he is a commander of something, it makes sense he has that aura of command about him. It would also explain the armor, and the massive scar across his left eye. “Why does she want me dead...?” I asked, unable to keep the trembling from my voice. I hope Fluttershy was safe, at least.
LUNA!
“Like you don’t know. Wait, you don’t! This is a dream, isn’t it? Too bad if you die in a dream,” he drew his sword with a sick hissing sound, “you die in real life.”
I couldn’t help it, I screamed as he released another blood-curdling laugh. He advanced towards me, sword raised high over his head to bring it down on top of me. I was surrounded, trapped by Bane’s soldiers. I resigned myself to my fate as a single tear fell down my cheek.
I could almost feel the biting cold of the blade on my neck, when something disturbed the line of the changelings. “SCATTER!” Bane shouted, jumping back to assess the threat. I spun my head around, fearing that whatever scared these soldiers would do worse to me. Much to my surprise, Princess Luna stood beyond, armored in her own glistening plates of dark platemail. She deftly stepped in front of me, squaring off with Commander Bane without a single weapon drawn.
Magic and the nighttime are her weapons.
“So, Commander Bane, so nice to see that Chrysalis does not value you for more than dream assassinations anymore,” Luna said, voice as cold as Nightmare Moon’s.
“Silence, False Princess, you know not of my Queen, nor her thoughts,” he replied, beginning to circle Luna. She stepped up, and kept pace. The remaining changelings formed a circle around them, appearing to have lost interest in me for the time being.
“Well, she must think badly of you to send you to kill my sister’s favorite student, and one of my closest friends.” The two continued their slow circling, neither one breaking eye contact.
“I said silence! We both know that your powers are weakened by your distance from Twilight Sparkle, and that you cannot hurt me.” He sounded smug, completely confident in his victory.
Luna elected not to respond, simply firing a bolt of something from her horn, striking and killing a changeling where he stood. Bane was shocked into silence.
The dark alicorn charged, using her opponent’s lack of concentration to her advantage. She formed a sword of living night from her horn, swinging it up to be met--almost too late--by the gleaming silver of the changeling commander’s blade. Sparks flew as the clang of metal-on-metal echoed throughout the forest.
The battle raged on, both sides attacking and parrying, neither able to gain the upper hoof. Both combatants ducked and weaved, swords and magic bolts hissing through the air like angry snakes. Finally, after what felt like hours, Luna saw her chance.
Bane swung wide, falling to a cunning ploy and causing him to leave his guard wide open. Luna threw aside her sword, using it to disarm her opponent. She shot a bolt of lightning, charging Bane’s armor and causing it to jump over to his body where it was touching.
Namely, everywhere.
He shouted and fell to the ground in agony. The changelings surrounding the fight disappeared in a flash of smoke, followed shortly by their leader after a cliche, “you haven’t seen the last of me, Sparkle!”
Luna walked over to me, armor turning into bats and flying off into the forest. She held out a friendly hoof, pulling me off of the ground. As she was checking me over, making sure that I had not been hurt, Fluttershy re-emerged, galloping towards us as fast as her hooves could carry her.
“Oh my goodness, Twilight are you ok? I was so worried, but I was too afraid to come help, then Luna showed up and she fought them off and I... I just....” the waterworks she had apparently been withholding then broke forth, wrapping me in a hug and crying into my mane. I found myself comforting the butter pegasus as her frustrations poured out in liquid form into my hair.
“Fluttershy and Twilight Sparkle, it is not safe for you here. Return home at once, and stay out of the forest,” Luna said, all traces of friendliness gone. I just nodded, unable to speak. “We must go, our powers are waning and we are unable to keep our form here much longer.” As if to prove her point, she shimmered, turning into a shimmer of multicolored light for a moment before solidifying. “Before we go, Sister wished us to tell you something.”
“Yes?” I asked, partially afraid for the answer.
“She wanted to tell you she--” but before Luna could finished, she winked out of existence, leaving Fluttershy and I alone in the quickly-darkening clearing of the Everfree Forest.
*****
I awoke in my cell. Taking a quick look around revealed nothing majorly different, but a faint bloodstain in the corner said otherwise. Raising my hoof to my head, I also noticed a faint dampness on my mane, right where Fluttershy had been crying.
Day ???:
I raised my hoof and knocked on the heavy oaken door before me. I had walked this route many times in my foalhood, and almost as many times since, but this time was going to be different. This time, I was finally going to tell her.
Right, like I hadn’t told myself that countless times before.
Before I could lose my nerve once again, she opened the door, bestowing me with a smile that carried all the warmth of the springtime sun. “Ah, Twilight Sparkle, my favorite student, come in,” she said in that voice that could melt a frozen-solid pond--and a certain purple unicorn.
I walked in on shaky legs, trying my hardest not to stare at the divine form in front of me, with limited success. She sat down at her desk, inviting me to sit across from it, on my favorite pillow. I remained standing
“P-Princess, I wanted to talk to you about,” I took a deep breath to steady my nerves, “about something.”
She gave me that amazing smile again. “Of course, Twilight Sparkle, what do you need?”
What I need is for you to come around that desk, wrap your hooves around me, and kiss me. “I, uh, I’ve been doing some, um, some thinking, and I-I think I might...” My voice trailed off, stuttering to a halt too soon. So close, come on Sparkle, you can do this...
She leaned forward. “You might...?”
I took another deep breath, and squeezed my eyes shut. “IthinkImightsortakindahaveacrushonyou.” Still keeping my eyes closed, I gave her a big, cheesy grin.
Darkness is a scary thing. I did not see, but heard her walk around the desk, golden hoofshoes clacking loudly on the tile. She gently rested one of her forehooves on my cheek, and moved my face to look at her. I slowly opened my eyes, but did not expect what I saw.
She was looking down on me with a smile, yes, but one of sympathy, not reciprocation; happiness. It was the smile of one who was about to deliver very bad news, and knew it. “No...” I found myself saying. “Princess.....?”
“Twilight,” she began in a soft, soothing tone. But I was not listning.
“No, Princess, please...” My voice was faint, almost unhearable.
“Listen to me Twilight. It isn’t anything about you--”
“No!” I shouted, pulling away from her. “Princess Celestia, please don’t.... don’t do this to me...” I continued, with a much quieter tone.
If the shouting bothered her, Celestia didn’t say anything about it. “I understand Twilight, and I know it hurts, but you have to hear me out.” I opened my mouth to speak, but she shushed me. “Listen. You have to realize that it really isn’t anything against you. You are a great mare, and a great pony, but I am a Princess, and Alicorn. I can’t bear to be in a relationship that has a definite time limit on it like that.
“And even if I wanted to, running Equestria is a lot of work. I don’t have a lot of free time, and most of what I do have I use to sleep. And let’s not even start on what the press would say about us. You are a mare whose age doesn’t even come anywhere near close to mine, and I watched you grow up, Twilight. They would think something salacious was going on and would have a field day with it.
“For those reasons, I have to say no. Go back to your rooms, and calm down. I shall see you tomorrow for your lesson.” With that, she returned to her desk where she began reading files, leaving me to see myself out.
Oh, my faithful student, if only I could talk to you...
Calm yourself, sister, I’m sure you will be able to soon enough.
Day ???:
CRASH!
“Catch him! He’s escaping!”
The sounds of hooves scuffling on flagstone, and a sickening crunch of a buck finding it’s target.
“Man down! Man down! We need help down-”
Suddenly, all was silent. I was cowering in my cell, curled up under the bed with just enough of my muzzle poking out to see the door. The bolt clanged open, and a dark figure stepped in. I readied my magic, bracing myself to incinerate whoever walked through the door first.
“Twilight? Twilight are you in here? Please tell me I’m not too late...” That voice, that’s Zil!
I scrambled up from under my bed, probably scaring Zil in the process. “Yes! Yes I’m right here. What’s going on?”
He gave me a lopsided grin, showing a missing tooth still bleeding a little. “Come on, we’re getting out of here.” Without waiting for my reply, he turned around and walked out into the hallway, looking everywhere to make sure no changelings were coming.
I was torn. I’m pretty sure I had a dream like this once, and it didn’t end too well for me. How did I know that this wasn’t a dream? For that matter, if it wasn’t, how was I supposed to know that was really Zil, and not a changeling coming to lead me to a trap. “How do I know you are really ZIl?” I asked, walking out of the cell to face him.
He looked at me. “Because I am...?”
I shook my head. “You could be any changeling, it really wouldn’t be that hard to disguise yourself as one of your own kind.”
“Changelings can’t disguise themselves as other changelings, it just doesn’t work like that.”
“Well, that’s real convenient for you then, isn’t it?” I asked, unable to keep the sarcasm out of my voice.
He flinched, and took my hoof. “Please, Twilight, trust me? All changeling magic auras are the same so I can’t prove it that way, but if it helps, when I was first brought down here, I thought you were a changeling sent to get information out of me in your guise. To prove you were you, you lifted a bucket, and we talked, and you cried.” I think he said something else, but his voice was down so low I didn’t hear him.
“Ok...” I said taking my hoof back. I couldn’t put my hoof on it, but I trusted that it was him. No changeling sent to kill me would show emotion like that, even if they knew. “Let’s go.” He nodded, and took of running. I followed close behind, hoping that I wasn’t walking into another trap.
We made it down the hallway, and up the tight spiral stairs, and into another dungeon corridor. The usually loud hallway was dead silent, the first sign that something was wrong. “Chrysalis has started killing off the prisoners. She is sending them to the front, to fight the resistance,” Zil said, noting my unease.
I nodded, before taking the lead to walk down the hallway. We walked side by side, tense as a couple of coiled springs and ready to fight whoever would try to stop us. Unfortunately, we had the chance all too soon for my liking.
As we approached the stairs to the next floor up, Zil stopped me, holding up his hoof. “I hear armored changelings,” he whispered in my ear. “They know we got out. No second chances this time, it’s escape or die.”
I took a deep breath, and plunged myself into the geyser of magic within. It still was not as powerful as it once was, but not using it for Celestia-knows how long did allow it to regain much more strength than I had when I first rediscovered it. I made a conscious effort to mask the glow of my horn, only partly successful, and cast about with my magic, looking for another way out.
Finding what I was looking for, I quickly got Zil’s attention. “Quick, this way!” I whispered excitedly. Much to my dismay, Zil just shook his head.
“You go on, I’ll catch up,” he said, avoiding my eyes.
“No, come on. You got me out, and I’m not leaving unless you’re next to me.” I stood my ground, trying to remember all those texts on combat magic I had read eons ago. Just in time too as the first changeling reinforcements tore around the staircase. Zil was caught off guard, whereas I was ready.
I fired a bolt of energy, hitting the first changeling. He dropped like a bag of rocks, sword falling down to the ground. Zil darted forward, picking up the dropped blade just in time to parry a thrust from the next changeling in line. He jumped back, and I shot a burst of air to throw the next changeling off balance. Zil ran him through, spilling the first drop of blood of many.
The battle lasted for what felt like hours. Between my magic and Zil’s prowess with a sword, we managed to turn the base of the staircase into a blood soaked mess. Two or three of them would come down the stairs, I would disorient them with some form of spell, and Zil would cut them down. Somewhere along the line, he picked up another weapon--a fearsome looking battleaxe-- and he duel wielded them with deadly efficiency.
However, as time often does, it began to wear us out. It started with small cuts and nicks on Zil, a cut on his hoof, a slash across his side, until his sword snapped from its constant battering. With him disarmed it fell to me to defend us. I tried my best, but I was beginning to wear out. Figuring it was all or nothing, I prepared a spell I had only briefly read about during research for one of my projects.
Focusing all that I possibly could into my horn, I released all of my leftover magic in one huge burst. Lightning cascaded around the hallway, arcing from changeling to changeling in bright bursts. Nudging Zil with my head, I attempted to shout over the sound of the carnage, but to no avail.
Thankfully he figured it out for himself, and we both sprinted down a hallway to the left. Neither of us knew where we were going, but we knew we were going to get out, or die trying. Left, right, up, right, right, another left, we galloped through the dungeon, dodging groups of changelings as we darted back and forth, always working our way up.
Finally, we came to a large spiral staircase that I knew. “Up here!” I shouted, drawing Zil’s attention. “This will lead up into the main hallway, from there we can escape into the castle and...changeling.....controlled.........Canterlot.”
Zil shook his head. “No good. Where will we end up if we go down?”
“Um,” I bit my lip, trying to remember back to my initial tour with Princess Celestia all those years ago. “I don’t really remember, but isn’t the goal to break out. As in, out of the castle, as in through the front door?”
“Not if it leads to use getting captured again,” Zil said, jumping to prop the door closed with his body as our pursuers caught up and attempted to bust the door down. “Think fAst Twilight, I don’t KNow how lOng I’ll be able to keep this cloSed!” His voice jumped with each impact, lending his speech an odd rhythm.
So I did what any sensible mare would do in my position. I called upon my reserves of magical energy, and sent forth a “feeler” to report on what lurked below. Mere fractions of a second later, I knew the layout intimately, as though I had lived there most of my life--which, technically, I sort of had.
“Well, up just leads to the main hall, like I said, and the front doors. Down, down leads somewhere I’ve never seen before. I think it might be the entrance to the Crystal Mines,” I said after taking a moment to fix our location and heading on my new mental map.
Zil looked over at me, shaking every so often in time with the impacts on the door. “Can we get out through the mines?”
“Ah, maybe...? The only time I was down there was when Chrysalis sent me there, and I found the real Cadence. I wasn’t paying all that much attention...”
“Well, let’s go spelunking then,” Zil said, almost getting thrown to the ground by another massive hit. “Quickly, if you please.”
I moved next to him, sifting through the list of spells that I could do drained as I was. Well, when all else fails... My horn began to glow, proceeding a loud crack that echoed up and down the stairs. Part of the railing, ripped from the outside wall of the staircase, floated into position, blocking the door. Three more bars followed, effectively sealing the door for the time being.
Zil nodded, satisfied, before taking off down the stairs. Careful of the blood-stained battle axe still on his back, I followed as fast as I could. We tore down the stairs, taking its soft loop quickly, to the point where it wasn’t uncommon for one of us to fall just for the other to pick up and keep going. We must have gone around at least fifteen times before a loud CRACK was heard from above, signaling that the changeling hordes were once again on our tails.
Thankfully, a few more circuits saw us at the end, and even though I knew what it was, I was not prepared for what lie beyond the last twist. A massive cavern, hewn from the rock bordered a hole down into the mines. No way up, no way to tell how far of a drop into the darkness it was, not way to know of anything. I looked over at Zil.
“Are you sure?” A simple question, but one holding so much weight.
He simply nodded.
“Stop right there,” a familiar voice called from the base of the stairs. I slowly turned around, and saw my nightmare come to life.
There stood Commander Bane. Still wearing his silver armor and broadsword, though this time he was only barely reminiscent of the cocky changeling who had attacked me in my dreams.
“Zil, what a pleasure to see you again, old friend.” Something about the way he said that gave me the impression they were not actually friends.
“Bane,” Zil replied simply, readying his axe. He stepped in front of me, nudging me towards the hole to the mines. “Go Twilight, I have an old score to settle with the Commander here.”
Bane laughed. “Fool. You couldn’t beat me before, what makes you think you can do it this time.”
“Quite simple. Last time, I had nothing to fight for. This time, I do.” With that, he charged, swinging his axe high to bring down on Bane’s head. The commander jumped back, drawing his own sword with a mighty wrench before lunging at Zil, sword aimed at his throat.
Zil caught the edge of the sword in the cusp of his axe. Pushing the sword aside--which in turn threw Bane off balance--he spun, bucking the commander in the face.
Bane howled in pain and rage, bloodlust coloring his eyes as he lept into the air, sword spinning around him in a maelstrom of flashing steel. Realizing his intentions, Zil dove backwards, knocking me out of the way and receiving a long, deep cut on his left wing for his trouble.
Wing clamped tightly to his side, Zil charged bodily at Bane, bellowing a savage war cry as the two collided. They rolled on the ground, weapons forgotten, each one vying for dominance. Bane ended up on top, reaching down to rip out Zil’s throat with his pointed teeth. Zil bunched up under him, thrusting up with all four hooves and sending the other combatant flying into the jagged wall.
They both took their time getting back up, sore from injuries and bleeding; Bane from a broken muzzle, Zil from the gash on his wing. Bane grinned, an evil, sadistic grin. He launched forward, though not at his enemy. He grabbed me, swinging me around into a headlock, both of us up on our hind legs. Bane levitated over his sword, placing the ice cold edge against my throat.
“Let her go Bane, she isn’t the one you have quarrel with,” Zil said, slowly advancing until Bane pushed the sword tighter against my throat, the razor sharp edge cutting into the skin.
“Oh, but there you are wrong. Queen Chrysalis has ordered Miss Sparkle killed.” He pushed in a little further until a thin line of blood ran down his blade. My blood.
“Then put her down and fight me. I swear, Bane, if you kill her I will not rest until you are utterly destroyed!” The vehemence in his voice shocked me. Analyze later, kind of a hostage at the moment.
“But it won’t matter then, traitor, she will be dead. Soon followed by you.” I couldn’t see, but I could practically picture the evil smirk on his face. “Either way, you lose.”
As fascinating as this conversation about my life was, I had better things to do than sit here and play damsel in distress. As stealthily as I could, I bunched my hind legs up until they were as tense as they could be without my captor noticing.
I caught Zil’s attention, and looked pointedly at the entrance to the mines. Hopefully, my message got across.
It did.
“What are you looking at, traitor?” Bane asked, noticing Zil’s eyes drifting to the hole to the mines. “Planning on abandoning your friend?”
Zil’s answer never came. As fast as I could, I pushed up, using the tension in my hind legs to ram my horn into Bane’s chin. It didn’t penetrate further than his lower jaw, but it hurt enough. He dropped his sword, howling in pain and clutching a hoof to the hole in his jaw which was already bleeding quite badly.
I dropped to my belly on the floor, and jumped up onto my forelegs. Channeling years of working with Applejack during apple bucking season, I pushed forward with all my might, sending my hooves crashing into Bane’s unprotected belly with a sickening crunch. He flew backwards, slamming his head into the wall, moving no more.
Without a backwards glance, I grabbed Zil by the hoof and dove into the dark depths of the mine below.