//------------------------------// // Chapter Four // Story: Files of a Wizard - Nite Life // by uz_mike222 //------------------------------// Chapter Four “Are you sure it’s this way?” Spike asked as he moved a tree branch out of both his and Big Macintosh’s way, making sure they moved safely through the Everfree Forest towards their destination: Ghastly Gorge. They were going there to help Rarity carry back a huge haul of gems back to her shop, but somewhere down the trail, they took a wrong turn. They didn’t realize it until they came upon the Old Castle Ruins unexpectedly. “Ah pony-feathers, Spike. Ah told ya to take that right at tha fork in tha road!” Big Macintosh snapped at Spike as they stopped at the steps. “There was, like, ten different forks, though.” Spike countered with an eyebrow raised to show his confusion. Big Macintosh became chafed at the comment, but ignored it. “Let’s just turn back an’ head for the Gorge,” He said as he turned around, not knowing if Spike was going to follow him as he started off. He took a few steps in the opposite direction of the ruins, but was sent flying into a tree that was nearby by an unseen force. Big Macintosh’s back hit tree with  crack as the thing began to splinter and fell back from the force and momentum that used him as the medium. Spike looked towards his friend with his mouth open, confusion and soon horror creeping into him like a parasite. He shook his head as the purple dragon made his way over to red stallion sprawled out on half the ground and half on the tree, his mane getting dirt stuck in it. Spike knelt next to his male friend and began to looked around for the perpetrator that knocked Big Macintosh unconscious. He was wary about what could happen next. That’s when something hit the baby dragon on the back of his head, hitting the area between his spines. His vision went dark as stars flew around at a fast speed, winking in and out within a second. He opened his eyes slowly and looked up. The thing that knocked him out looked like a Lunar Guard with blood red eyes. Then, he was carried off into the soft, warm darkness of unconsciousness. - Sign kicked her own door open with enough force to wake up the few houses around. A couple of ponies looked out their windows, noticed it was her and went back in as quickly as they came out. Her face gave off the emotions of being tired and irritable. Aeris, who somehow made his way to the front counter, looked upon her with a bit fear as she laid back on the mat behind the counter. She heard him hopping over to the edge, trying to look down upon. "Are you alright?" He asked, worry in his green fire-like eyes. "No," She answered with a sigh, her front legs wrapped under her head as she stared at the ceiling. "I apparently teleported to the Wind and String Orchestra giving Celestia and Luna themselves a private concert, among other ponies who were obviously high-classed." "What's so bad about teleporting to an Orchestra?" Aeris asked innocently. "I was stuck in a tuba..." Sign trailed off without having to explain the rest of the story. Aeris, however couldn't keep silent as he burst out laughing. "Ha, ha, ha. Keep up the laughter and I'm putting you in a shoe box so you can't escape in both skull and Spirit form. "I'm sorry, but how did that happen?' He asked, his voice sounding like it was removing and imaginary tear from one of his eyes. "Guess my last quartz was short circuiting. Happens commonly enough, but I never teleported into a tuba before. Better chalk than one up for the "I teleported into..." list for the reunion. If I ever go there. "That's still pretty amazing though," Aeris chuckled, but was shot a horrifying look from Sign. He quieted down then, after gulping a frog down. Sign still wondered how he was able to talk through that skull instead of just taking his spirit form. Can't really make wind spirits do anything really. Doing as they pleased, just like the wind. Aeris opened his mouth as he was about to say something, but the little bell above the shop's door rang, making Sign spring up to her hooves. She was beaming and ready to say her slogan, until she realized it was Twilight and Applejack. Wonder what they want? "Welcome to Sign's Herbal and Potions shop. How can I help you two?" She said with a bored look on her face, her eyes piercing them as they looked everywhere but at her until Twilight spoke up, placing the staff that she held onto the counter. Sign looked down at it, then back at the two mares, then back to the staff, and the last look at the mares. Twilight looked especially nervous through Sign's half-closed eyes. "I was just wondering if you would like to trade?" Twilight asked, a nervous smile on her face. "Trade what for this?" Sign asked as she mused over the staff, trying not to show her excitement. "A favor?" "Please, explain this 'favor' to me, Miss Twilight." Sign stated as Twilight gulped down a frog herself. "It's got somet'in' ta do with Spike and mah big brother," Applejack spoke up, a worried look on her face, it was genuine. "Go on," Sign said, her interest peaked. - Rarity grunted as she slowly pushed the mine cart up the slope out of Ghastly Gorge, the wheels squeaking with strain from such a heavy load. This wasn’t a job for a lady her caliber, but she had no choice since her help still has yet to arrive yet. Where could those two boys be? She didn’t dwell on the question as a bright flash appeared in front of the cart. A purple aura surrounded the cart and it was hauled up to the top of the slope, where Twilight and Applejack were waiting with another mare she did not recognize and know the name of. Rarity knew all of the names of any pony she thought was important for her career as a dress designer. Rarity looked upon this mare with a critical eye. Though the mare herself was beautiful, the things she wore were absolutely dreadful as they clashed against each other. Rarity visible flinched at the outfit as she poked her head over the slope to the top of the Gorge. “Thank you very much Twilight. I needed the help, since Big Macintosh and Spike have yet to show. I still can’t believe i had to actually sweat. A lady should never sweat.” She complained but shrug as she fixed her mane, since it was askew from its normal position. “We know that they haven’t shown up. We’re both worried that they could have gone missing in the Everfree forest while they were on their way here.” Twilight spoke up. “So we’ve decided to enlist the help o’ our good friend Sign here.” Applejack added “Hello,” Sign replied with a small bow of her head as she took off her cap, showing her short mane. “Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Sign.” Rarity said with her own acknowledging bow. “Likewise,” Sign said, then moved towards Rarity’s cart. She circled around the cart itself while trying to peek at the top of the pile. Unsatisfied with just looking, she jumped into the cart, making Rarity’s gems fall to ground or sent them flying as she picked one up, then inspected it. “Wha-What are you doing?! Stop it this instance!” Rarity cried as she moved to the cart, moving around it while stammering ‘oh no’ as she tried to catch the flying gems in between screams as gems flew everywhere. Sign kept going without stopping, however, for another five minutes until she stopped unexpectedly and hopped out of the cart. “I found my payment for this search party. It’ll be a few minutes before I can pick up their trail, however." She told purple and orange mares. “Payment?! What payment? I’m not paying you for anything.” Rarity said as she replaced all the gems, even the ones that the mare was holding. Who just grabbed them back, beginning a tug-o-war with the quartz she needed. “You’re not, but they are. Besides, I need these quartz stones in order to find Big Macintosh and Spike, so if you want them found, then hand over those gems. Besides, I could care less about those other ones anyway. No use magically.” Sign said as she pulled hard enough to have the stones slip from Rarity's grip, sending them both into a tumble. Sign stood up triumphantly, placing them into a saddle bag that held a long stick with a giant diamond in it. Rarity ogled the diamond, but couldn't bring herself to stare as she had other things to focus on. Rarity looked from the odd mare to her friends who looked everywhere but at her with nervous grins on their faces. All she could do was sigh as Twilight teleported the gems and the cart to her house. - “Wake up!” A voice shouted as something hard went across Spike’s left cheek, sending small stars across his vision. “Wake up, I said!” Another set of stars flew across his vision as his other cheek began hurt. Spike’s eyes slowly opened up, blinking once, twice, thrice times before setting them upon a Lunar Guard he saw earlier. His iris’ were the color of blood red, as before, but the pupils were dilating and expanding every second to the tempo of a metronome that only the Guard can hear. That's new, but extremely disconcerting and scary. What concerned Spike the most, however, was the fact the eyes looked wild, like the Guard was slowly losing his mind as they moved in small frantic circles while staring at him. Now that's scary. “Who are you and who sent you?!” The guard shouted, an inch away from Spike’s nose. “M-my name’s Spike and n-no one sent me! Honest! Me and my friend got lost on our way to the Ghastly Gorge! I swear. Please, I just want to-” A smack landed across his right cheek. “Enough talking!” The Guard shouted as he pulled away from Spike, rounding towards Big Macintosh. “Is what he is saying true?” “Eeyup,” The red stallion replied hurriedly. “All of it is true,” The Guard stared at the big red stallion, then moved away from Big Macintosh and stood a little ways from both, a distant look on his face, his back to them Spike quickly looked around. He was in a dark cellar or something, with cobblestone walls, floors and ceiling. There was only torch in the room giving off weak ambient light, but other than that, Spike had to rely on his night vision to see at all. A single drop of water landing in a pool that sounded it came from everywhere. He saw that his hands and legs were manacled to a wall, as was Big Macintosh’s four legs, both of their bellies facing forward. As Spike turned his gaze back to Guard, he thought he saw a small twitch on his mouth that was a grin, but it was gone an instant later as it was replaced with a snarl. The Guard's head then jerked to the right, to the left, straight up and was still again, looking forward with a thin line on his lips. Spike and Big Macintosh stole a look at each other, showing their bewilderment,terror and a small bit of curiosity at what just happened. The Guard then suddenly turned around, his wings out in a threatening pose. He lept towards Spike first, releasing him from his prison. Spike was worried at what would happen next, but the Guard turned towards him, a pleading look on his face as the pupils returned to normal size, the color turning back into gold with cat-like slit pupils. Fear was the only thing showing in those eyes, along with panic and terror. “You must get out of here. Use the key to get out of here. Take your friend also. I don’t know how long I can do this.” the Guard said in a frantic voice, his eyes darting this way and that as he placed the key into Spike's open hand, which the Guard forced open with his bat-like wings. Spike hurriedly did his job without another urging, freeing Big Macintosh, who forced Spike onto his back. He trotted over to the Guard. “What about you, aren't you going to get out?” Spike asked quickly as the Guard’s eyes darted from one place to another, not even stopping to look at Spike for more than a half-second. “I can’t leave," he whispered so low that Spike almost had trouble hearing it. "Don’t worry about me, though. Just go and never return here! GO!” The Guard shouted as he hit Big Macintosh’s red backside. He reared and galloped off into the maze of tunnels. The last thing they both heard was a blood curdling scream, then a laughter that sprang up from that scream. It was the laughter of a mad pony who was readying himself for the enjoyment of slaughter. - Sign held out a hoof, stopping her three followers, who looked at her questioningly as they stood outside the front of a staircase. It lead down into the earth in the interior of the Old Castle of the Pony Sisters. She moved forward a bit, one of the quartz stones tied to a string which dangled between her teeth. It was pointed slightly downwards unmoving in its directioning. A scream sprang up from inside as the quartz held its course: due straight. The the sound of horseshoes on cobblestone rang up, making Sign tense since she knew something was coming up. She had a spell ready, just to be safe. The quartz moved frantically, first left, then right, then left again, then right again and so on until it stood straight in front of her. “TWILIGHT!” A voice sprang up from the staircase as a red stallion jumped out of the staircase, just narrowly missing Sign. The red Stallion skidded to a halt and quickly moved over to the small gang. “You guys have to quickly get out of here! Something’s coming! Something bad.” Spike spoke quickly as he began to bite his claws, his clippings went flying “Hold yer horses there Spike. No pun intended,” Applejack smiled weakly as she looked at Big Macintosh. “What’s coming Spike?” Twilight asked, a concerned look that also shared its space with relief. “Something bad,” He said, not wanting to say anymore. “What held you, Spike?” Sign asked, turning her gaze towards the staircase. “A-a Lunar Guard, but only he wasn’t himself. Like he had something else inside him.” “Did he feel evil and crazy?” “Very,” Spike said, his tone hushed. He resumed biting his claws Sign sighed as she nodded, knowing what she had to do for now. She pulled out the staff as she set down her saddlebag. “Twilight, take everyone and get out of here,” “What? Why? What about you?” She asked as she quickly rounded on Sign. “I’m staying,” She replied simply, hoping to brook no argument from the Unicorn. “Didn’t you hear what Spike said? Something evil is down there, dear. Besides, didn’t you hear that scream just then? I don’t about the rest of you, but I don’t want to stay longer.” Rarity pipped up, moving towards Big Macintosh. Both were ready to dart. “Then how about Rarity, Spike and mah brother go and me and Twi here will stay and help ya fight.” Applejack spoke up, looking determined. “No. You and Twilight take the other three and get out of here. I cannot hold responsibility on what happens to you and I’m going to need all my strength to fight while not waste it on protecting you both. Besides, what comes out of there will never be forgiving and it takes no prisoners. If you show any weakness to him, he will take your body, and I mean that in the most literal sense. I only know one way to do that, and it can only work upon myself. Now go and don’t come back here. GO!” Sign shouted as she rounded on the other ponies, pushing them back with the force of her voice. They nodded their consent, Twilight and Applejack were the most reluctant of all, turning away. They gallop away as they looked back at Sign who was staring down the staircase. She turned back a few minutes later and saw they were gone. Completely gone. Another minute passed by and she began to hear horseshoes against cobblestone. It was a subdued tone, the length of each step slower than what Big Macintosh sounded off as he raced up the cobblestone steps. They were the steps of a confident being as it slowly made its way up the staircase. Another minute passed by as the sounds came closer, gaining volume with each step. Sign began to tense as she backed up, giving herself room while putting the quartz away. She then flung her saddlebags behind a pillar, out of sight. A final minute passed by as a Guard poked his, correction, its head out of the staircase with a smile that went from ear to ear on its lips, the eyes red with lunacy and the hunger to slaughter. To feast on meat and blood as it reveled in the slaughter it wants to commit. “Welcome, Sign. I hope you have the time to stay and chat. It’s been dreadfully long since I last saw you.” Another smile on those lips made Sign almost visibly shiver as she steadied herself, a leg wrapped around her staff. "Thanks, but I've no time to chat." She simply stated, leveling the staff to her opponent, standing on both of her hind legs. A grin came upon her face as the diamond lit up. A second later, it unleashed a concentrated beam of pure light upon her foe.