//------------------------------// // The Attack // Story: The Revenge of the Sombranian Cult // by The Abyss //------------------------------// Rainbow slowly woke up on a hard surface, her eyes fluttering open. She groaned quietly as pain shot down her spine, her muscles tensing involuntarily. She forced herself to remain still, her eyes roaming across the room. She smiled as she recognized the numerous shelves around the room, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw a familiar purple unicorn examining book after book before her. I'm alive... Sweet Celestia! I'm alive! She thought, her heart soaring as a smile appeared on her muzzle. She tried to sit up but fell back down, hissing in pain as her back screamed in agony. Twilight glanced over her shoulder, her eyes going wide as she did a double take. Her horn blinked out suddenly, the books she had been examining crashing to the floor in an untidy heap. She hurried to Rainbow's side, smoothly brushing her mane off her face, her hooves gently sliding over Dash's cheek. “Rainbow! Oh thank Celestia! You're alive!” Twilight threw her arms around Rainbow, pulling the pegasus into a tight hug. Her horn flared, a pillow drifting over and sliding under the cyan mare's head. Rainbow snorted, forcing a cocky grin on her muzzle. “I’m fine, Twilight! I don't see what your fussing abo-” She gasped, breathing heavily as pain shot down her spine once again, a couple of tears escaping from the corners of her eyelids. She turned her head ever so slightly, biting her lip between her teeth as she tried to find the source of her pain. The fur where the lightning bolt had struck her was singed black, and blood dripped from where she had reopened the rather large scab on her back. She shuddered, although she was unsure if it was from the fear of what had just happened or from the pain coming from her back. She turned back, her eyes losing focus for a moment. “W-what happened? The last thing I remember was flying to see you and then... everything went black...” She said, speaking slowly, her eyes full of confusion and uncertainty. Twilight gulped nervously, her heart heavy with guilt. She didn't want Rainbow to know that her shield may have put her life in danger. “You were hit by a bolt of lightning. You're lucky to be alive, Dash,” she spoke softly, her voice cracking slightly. “If I hadn't been there to catch you, you would have died...”  Tears suddenly sprang from her eyes. Although she had recently been thinking of Rainbow in much more than a friendly manner, she realized how close she had been to losing one of her best friends. “I just don't know what I would have done if you... if you...” Twilight said haltingly, her words choking out in between sobs, unable to finish her sentence. Her sobs lessened as a cyan hoof ran over her cheek, wiping tears from her face. She looked up, her eyes red as she looked into Rainbow's smiling face. “Twilight...” Rainbow said, placing her hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “You know I'd never leave you hangin’! I'm the element of loyalty, remember?” “Hehe, yeah...” Twilight said, giggling as she wiped the last of her tears away. She forced a smile on her face as she fought a war inside her mind. She desperately wanted to tell Rainbow she liked her, but couldn't get past her fear of her friend’s reaction. And what of Celestia? What would she think if she told her that she was a fillyfooler? The rather important fact that Rainbow had nearly died pushed her to make her to make up her mind. It doesn't matter what anypony thinks, she thought. “This is my life, and I’m going to tell Rainbow I love her!” “Rainbow, I have something to tell...” she trailed off as Spike ran to her side, a large book held in his claws. She hesitated, her eyes darting from side to side as Rainbow waited for her to finish. She blushed furiously, desperately trying to come up with a good excuse. “I uhhh... love your mane!” Twilight blurted out, a fake smile on her muzzle. Beside her, Spike gave her an odd look, a single scaly eyebrow raised as he glanced toward Rainbow's mane. Rainbow's eyes darted upward, running a hoof through her colorful mane. “Um... thanks? Ok, THAT was a little weird...” she said, eyeing Twilight for a moment. “I didn't do anything different to it...” “Ah. Ok then; I’m gonna go grab some medical supplies from the kitchen,” Twilight said as she nervously trotted into the kitchen, followed closely by Spike. UGH! Why does this love thing have to be so hard? Rainbow gently laid back down on the table, wincing as her back twinged in pain. As her head hit the pillow, she tried to remember the events that had led up to her injury, but her memory was a little hazy. She closed her eyes and relaxed, glad that she was safe and in good hooves, knowing that everything was going to be alright. In the kitchen, Twilight was pulling cabinets open and searching through drawers, her frustration growing. “Spike!” She yelled, a sheepish grin on her face as he walked up. “Do you know where the medical kit is? I need to clean Rainbow's wound.” “Isn't it under the sink? The same place it is every time you need it?” He said, chuckling as he pulled the bag from under the sink. “Oh...thanks Spike,” she said, a sheepish smile on her muzzle. She turned, the bag levitating behind her as she trotted back into the living room. She sat down next to Dash, her horn flaring as she spread the bag's contents around her. “Hey Spike,” Twilight called out as she organized the materials she needed, “did you find anything about trea-” “Right here, Twi! The Treatment of Burns, both Severe and Mild. I found it hidden behind some of the other medical books,” Spike said, allowing the book to slip out of his grasp as Twilight levitated it from him. “Thank you, Spike; I'll let you know if I need help.” Twilight said, smiling at her assistant as she flipped through the pages of the book, stopping at the chapter conveniently titled ‘How to Treat Lightning Burns’. She quickly read the page, her eyes shifting from left to right as she devoured the text. “Alright, Rainbow, I'm going to try to heal your back.” Twilight said as she set the book aside. “I can't guarantee this will heal you completely, but I feel confident about this spell.” “I know you'll do your best, Twilight.” Rainbow looked up at her friend, a calm smile on her face as she spoke. She turned ever so slowly until she was laying on her stomach, hissing as pain exploded in her back. She panted slightly as she laid on her belly, her wings tucked in at her sides. She closed her eyes, breathing steadily as Twilight gently placed her hooves above and below the wound stretching across her spine. Twilight closed her eyes, her horn glowing brightly as magic lazily floated through the air, covering Rainbow's burn. Several minutes passed without anything happening, and Twilight was just about to admit defeat when the burn slowly started to form a new scab. As she watched in amazement, new flesh grew quickly replaced the burnt skin, and cyan fur formed across the new unmarked skin. The fur grew thickly, quickly covering up the bare patch of skin. Rainbow shivered at the tingling sensations across her back, a smile appearing on her face as the pain on her back slowly faded before vanishing altogether. Twilight's horn dimmed, her eyes opening as she examined the flawless fur beneath her hooves. Twilight smiled, her magic fading away as she dispelled her magic. She blinked rapidly as the room suddenly swam before her, small stars bursting in her vision. “Twilight, are you okay?” Rainbow said, eyeing the unsteady unicorn as she sat up. “I'm fine. That spell took a little more out of me than I expected... It was a very complex spell. I accelerated your body’s healing ability, and instead having you wait a week or two for you to heal completely, I healed you in a matter of...”she trailed off as she glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. “eleven minutes... I just need a moment to catch my breath.” The storm raged on outside, branches and leaves being torn from the surrounding trees. Three mysterious colts were watching the library from a bar just down the street while they waited for the perfect time to attack. An uncomfortable and nervous silence hung heavily over the three, despite the festive mood in the bar that night. Garath glanced between his two companions before turning to Zeo. “Ya know, since we're breaking into this mare's house, we should totally take something to remember it by! You thinkin what I'm thinkin?” Zeo smiled, a glimmer of hope shining in his eyes. “A panty raid?” “Aww yeah!” Garath yelled, his hoof raised towards Zeo. Zeo slammed his hoof against Garath’s, and they downed the rest of their mugs. “Hey Mord, I’m gonna go grab us another round; you sure you don’t want anything? Garath said as he stood up. “I told you never to call me that, and no, I don’t drink...” Mordronous growled, his eyes never leaving the library's lit windows. “Sheesh, okay, sorry...” Garath shook his head, his wings flapping at his side. He trotted over to the bar, signaling the bartender for another round. A moment later he returned to the table, pushed one of the mugs to Zeo, who caught it with a look of disgust on his face. “Seriously? Another beer? Let's do some real drinking!” Zeo said, a challenge in his voice. Before Garath could decline, Zeo was already standing at the bar yelling at the bartender. “Hey, bartender! I want your finest bottle of Applejack Daniels!”  He scattered his bits across the counter as the bartender hoofed him a bottle of the delicious amber liquid. He grabbed a couple of empty glasses as he trotted back to the table. “Are you sure about that? We have a mission to do...” Garath said, his eyes darting toward the glowering figure beside him. “It’s all good! We’re only gonna have a little!” Zeo said, a fifth of the bottle already poured into the glasses. Garath shook his head as he glanced at Mordronous again. He didn’t look away from the library, but Garath could easily see the hate apparent in his eyes. He looked away quickly, a shudder running down his spine as he grabbed his beer and took a few sips of the cool brew. Zeo slammed his glass on the table, a buzzed grin on his face. “So, what do we know about this mare?” “From what we've been told about her, she's a pretty normal mare. She doesn't get out too much, and our reports say that she does not have a special somepony.” Garath said, his hoof scratching his chin as he regurgitated the intel that he had read before they left the Crystal Empire. “We know that she’s one of the Elements of Harmony, and that should be enough to scare you into knowing that we shouldn’t mess around with her. And on top of that, she’s also one of the most powerful unicorns in all of Equestria, and on top of THAT, she’s also Celestia’s prized student.” “So, a bookworm, eh? We can easily take her!” Zeo said confidently, sure that this was going to be a cinch. Mordronous looked away from the library and, his horn flaring, he gripped his companions’ heads in his magic, and slammed their heads together, a dull thunk ringing through the bar. “Ow! What in the flipping hay was that for!?” Garath yelled, clutching his throbbing head between his hooves. He glared at Mordronous, who stared back at him with a smug look. “Yeah! What the buck was that for?” Zeo chimed in, rubbing his head as he checked his bottle for any spills. “You idiots!” Mordronous whispered furiously. “Do you really want to blow this whole operation? Talk about something else, for Sombra’s sake!” “Alright alright!” Garath quickly said, rubbing his sore head. “Fine...Hey, at least I didn't spill my drink!” Zeo bragged, raising his hoof for Garath to bump. Mordronous's eyes narrowed, his horn flaring a dull grey as he once again grabbed Zeo's head. He smacked the poor earth pony’s head onto their table, a small crack appearing in the wood, knocking over Zeo’s drink in the process. “Hey, you got me bucking wet, you coltcuddler!” Garath exclaimed as the Zeo’s drink spilled all over him. He stood up, futilely trying to wipe the the strong-smelling alcohol from his fur. “Well, it wasn’t my fault! Blame him!” Zeo said as he struggled against Mordronous’ magical hold on his head. Mordronous slammed his hoof on the table, drawing their attention towards him. “Enough!” He said, staring at the two stallions before him. Zeo sank back down into his chair slowly, gulping in fear as he sat beside Garath. “You two need to get your heads back in the game. I can't believe you two idiots are drinking when we have a mission to do.” His horn flared as he grabbed the bottle from Zeo, levitating it across the small bar. The bottle floated to a stop beside a beautiful mare, who waved and winked in thanks. He nodded in her direction as he returned his attention to the two before him. “Now, we need to go over the plan one more time...” Rainbow frowned as Twilight swayed, her eyes half-lidded. She moved forward and nuzzled Twilight, leading her to the couch. Twilight looked at her with a sleepy smile, sending a jolt through Rainbow's heart. Knowing that this was probably going to be the best chance that she could get, Rainbow swallowed her fear, her voice wavering slightly. “Twilight, I have something really important to tell you; I...” she trailed off as Spike walked into the room, unknowingly cutting off another confession of love. “Hey Twilight, dinner is ready.” Spike said, a smile on his face as he spotted Rainbow standing on her own. “Wow, Rainbow, you look great! How are you feeling?” “Umm, much better, Spike; all thanks to Twilight...” Rainbow trailed off, annoyed that she had been interrupted. “That's great to hear! Well, like I said, dinner is ready! I made daffodil and daisy sandwiches with a side of hay fries.” “That sounds great, Spike,” Twilight yawned, stretching her legs with a pop. She turned her attention back to Rainbow, a curious smile on her face. “Oh, weren’t you about to say something?” Rainbow panicked, hiding her eyes behind her mane for a moment. “Oh, uhh, yeah! I love my wings!” She stammered weakly, fluttering her wings in emphasis. “Yeah, they’re... um... nice?” Twilight gave her a strange look before turning, her tail flicking behind her. “Well, I'm glad the spell worked! Come on, let's grab some dinner.” “You don't have to tell me twice!” Rainbow said, a sly grin on her face as Twilight stuck her tongue out at her. At least I get to spend some more time with Twi… Twilight stepped into the kitchen, her tail twitching behind her as the smell of hay fries filled her nostrils. Rainbow trailed behind her, her eyes drifting down to admire Twilight's flank. Wow, who knew a bookworm could be so... hot! She pretended to look past the purple unicorn and out the window as Twilight suddenly glanced over her shoulder. Twilight raised an eyebrow as she noticed Rainbow staring directly at her rear. “Enjoying the view? The storm, I mean,” she nervously asked, blushing as Dash stuttered and stammered, her cheeks flushing red. Before she could form a coherent statement, Twilight giggled. “Hurry up; we don't want Spike's cooking to go to waste!” Twilight said as she lifted her tail, sitting down on a cushion in front of the table. Rainbow nervously sat down on the other side of the table, relaxing onto an extra pillow Spike had set out for her moments before. The table was already decorated with food, the delicious scents wafting through the air tantalizingly.   The three of them dug into the food without another word, each occupied with their own thoughts. Twilight was pondering over ways to express her feelings to the pegasus across from her, while Rainbow unwittingly almost mirrored the unicorn’s exact thoughts. Spike sat between the two, his mind filled with sparkling gems. A minute passed in silence before Spike turned to Rainbow, a question on his lips. “Hey Rainbow...how did you get hurt so bad? All I saw was Twilight laying you on the table, and and she wouldn’t tell me what was going on,” he said, a pout on his face as he glared playfully at Twilight. “Spike!” Twilight said, her voice raised. She frowned, afraid that Rainbow's mood would plummet with the reminder of how close she had come to death. “It's ok, Twi,” Rainbow said, a quick lie forming in her head. “Well, I had just finished another Daring Do book and I was on my way to pick up the next one when that storm started throwing lightning bolts at me, and I managed to dodge most of them. But the next thing I know...” she trailed off, a faint memory of a smoky pony appearing in her mind for a moment before fading away. “I'm waking up on Twilight's table with a big burn on my back.” “Wow... I'm glad you’re alright, Rainbow.” Spike said, smiling at the daredevil pony. He yawned, covering his mouth with a claw as he pulled himself to his feet. He grabbed the dishes and quickly deposited them into the sink. “Well, Twilight, I'm gonna head to bed; I'm pretty tired...” He said, trailing off with another loud yawn. “Good night Spike!” Twilight said, nuzzling the little dragon as she hugged her, an embarrassed smile on his face. As Spike made his way upstairs, Twilight asked, “Well, since you said you finished the last Daring Do book I gave you, would you like the next one?” “Yeah, definitely!” Rainbow responded, her stomach full of Spike’s delicious food. Rainbow and Twilight stood and walked into the living room. Rainbow sat down on the couch while Twilight searched for the book. After a few seconds, Twilight smiled, her horn flaring as she pulled a book from the shelves around her, laying it gently at Rainbow's side. Rainbow stared at the book for a moment, a confused look on her face. “You are on this book now, right Rainbow?” Twilight asked, a funny look on her face. “Oh, yeah, I was just surprised you knew which one I was on!” Rainbow said, fishing for a subject change. “I'll get this back to you as soon as I finish it!” She said, gripping the book close to her chest. She hopped off the couch and made her way towards the door. “Well, I guess I better get going, seeing as it’s late and all...” She opened the door, the sound of heavy rain filling the air. She gazed outside with a grimace, jumping as a loud thunderclap sounded above them, and she jumped again as the door was suddenly ripped out of her grip, slamming shut with a loud bang. “Rainbow, there is no way I am letting you fly back to your house tonight,” Twilight said, a steely edge in her voice. “That storm is way too dangerous, and I don’t want you to risk getting hit by another lightning bolt! I don’t want to lose you again...” “Yeeaaah...that’s probably a good idea, Twi,” Rainbow said, watching a couple more lightning bolts strike the ground outside through a window. “Come on, let's head upstairs and get some sleep, it's already pretty late.” Twilight yawned, eyeing the clock once again. “Oh... um, just one thing, though. Spike's been sleeping in the spare bed lately, so you'll have to share my bed with me... is that okay? It should be big enough for the two of us.” “Yes!” Rainbow shouted, leaping into the air with a sudden flourish of her wings. She quickly sank back to the ground, snorting as she tried to play it cool. “I mean, yeah, that's fine.” Twilight shook her head, giggling lightly as she trotted up the stairs. She quietly opened her bedroom door, holding it open as Rainbow slipped into her room. Twilight's horn flared as she doused the lights in the main room, her horn keeping the room illuminated as she made her way to her bed. She passed by Spike's bed, her horn flaring brighter as she pulled the cover further over him, a loving smile on her muzzle. They both jumped onto Twilight’s bed and slipped under the covers. Rainbow relaxed as the comfortable blanket was pulled up over her shoulders. “Goodnight, Dashie,” Twilight whispered, yawning lightly as she nuzzled her pillow. “Night, Twi,” Rainbow whispered back, a smile on her muzzle, wishing that this moment would last forever. After several minutes, she turned over to face Twilight, frowning as sleep continued to elude her. She blinked in surprise as a light snoring filled the air, coming from the pony beside her. She giggled as the most perfect idea jumped into her mind. Rainbow stared at the mare, making sure that she was asleep. She slowly scooted closer and slowly maneuvered herself into Twilight’s embrace, laying her head just under Twilight’s chin. She softly pulled Twilight’s arm over her, and she sighed happily, sleep claiming her just moments later. Back at the bar, two ponies suddenly sat up as they saw the lights in the library go out. “Hey boss! The lights are out!” Zeo yelled, slightly slurring his words.  “Let’s go get ‘er!” “Sit down, you idiot!” Mordronous barked, his voice hardly hearable over the normal bar noise. How did this imbecile even make it into the cult? He glanced around the bar, his eyes gleaming menacingly as he returned his gaze to Zeo. “Stick to the plan. Meet me in front of the library in half an hour's time.” He stood, his hooves moving soundlessly across the bar's wooden floor. A moment later, he disappeared into the howling storm. “I still don’t know how he does that.” Zeo said, his eyes scanning the darkness their leader had just walked into. “Well, he is a unicorn... They can do some pretty amazing magic, and besides, I’m sure Lord Anthautu taught him some pretty nifty spells.” Garath responded as they stood up to make their way outside, smirking as Zeo nodded drunkenly. “True, true. Anyways, I shink it's about time that we go an... and meet ol' Mordy.” The earth pony said, wincing as he nearly tripped over a trashcan. “You feelin’ okay there?” Garath said, laughing at Zeo as he leapt into the air, his wings beating up and down quietly. “Yeah, yeah, I feel fine. Let's go!” Zeo said, drunken excitement filling his voice.   The two of them left the bar and wound their way between buildings, down side alleys, and through dark shadows. Once the pair were satisfied they weren’t being followed, they headed for the library and found a good hiding spot, nervously glancing around for their leader. They remained silent, their eyes roaming over the buildings around them. “So...where do you think he is?” Garath said, eyeing the moon through the stormy clouds as Zeo shrugged. “Behind you,” a voice suddenly whispered from directly behind the pair. Garath and Zeo jumped, their eyes wide as Mordronous stepped out of the shadows, a small smirk on his face. His horn flared as he soundlessly opened the unlocked library doors. “Of course, nopony would lock their doors in such a sleepy little town...” Mordronous whispered, snorting in amusement. They entered the darkened main room, their eyes roaming across the room. Mordronous beckoned for Zeo to take the stairs, his eyes turning to Garath. Zeo stepped forward, stumbling slightly as he drunkenly walked into a table stacked full of books. The books swayed, swaying dangerously to the left as they teetered for a moment before they suddenly started to fall. Oh buck me... I'm gonna get it now... Zeo thought, his eyes wide in terror. Mordronous's horn flared, his magic catching nearly all the books except for the largest of the group, which slammed onto the floor with a loud bang. He quietly placed the rest of the books on the ground, his horn flaring as he reached out and pulled Zeo and Garath against him. Suddenly, the world went dark around them; shadows clutching at their fur as smoke filled their vision. Behind the fog they could vaguely see movement, creatures twisting and slithering off in the distance. Upstairs, Twilight woke up, her eyes opening groggily as a loud bang sounded from downstairs. What was that? I better go check... As she slowly came to her senses, she noticed that she had somehow snuggled up against Rainbow sometime that night, her hoof draped over the cyan mare's body. Oh, Rainbow; why are you so warm...ugh...I really don’t want to get up... She snuggled closer to the mare, fighting the urge to check downstairs. She gave up and sighed, giving Rainbow a small nuzzle as she slipped out of bed, silently making her way to the bedroom door. She opened it slowly and her horn flared as the room burst into a low magenta light, her eyes instantly focusing on the fallen books. Hmmm... I'll have to stack my books lower from now on... With a flourish of her horn, the books rearranged themselves in smaller stacks on the table. She took one last look around the room, an uneasy feeling rising in her chest. Something felt a little off, but she couldn’t place a hoof on it. She shrugged, closing the door behind her as she returned to bed. She laid down beside Rainbow, a guilty smile on her face as she replaced her foreleg around Rainbow's belly. Dash stirred in her sleep, mumbling something inaudible as she snuggled deeper into Twilight's embrace. Downstairs, Mordronous released his spell, his companions gasping in fear as they faded back into the library. They stared at him with wide eyes, their hearts beating against their rib cages. “What in Sombra's name was that?!?” Garath whispered as loudly as he dared, his voice cracking with fear. Mordronous turned, eyeing him for a moment before speaking. “Oh, just a little something Lord Anthautu showed me. It definitely has its uses...” he said, slowly making his way up the stairs. Zeo and Garath fell in place behind him, Zeo watching his step much more carefully. Just as Twilight was about to drift off to sleep again, she was awoken by the click of her bedroom door opening. She sat up in confusion, her horn flaring dimly as she blinked in surprise as three ponies quietly stared back at her. She slid out of bed, quietly speaking as she stepped closer to them. “I'm sorry, but the library is closed for the night; you'll have to come back tomorrow.” Mordronous stepped forward, the very picture of nervous panic. “We're so very sorry to have woken you, but we desperately need a book that deals with long range teleportation. One of my colleagues attempted a highly advanced teleportation spell he had been toying with, and we have no idea where he's gone. We could really use your help.” “Well...alright...” Twilight reluctantly said, eyeing the three ponies before her. “I may be able to help you with that. Please, follow me.” She glanced back at Rainbow, wanting nothing more than to snuggle with her back in bed, under the warm covers. Garath stepped to the side and watched as the librarian and his companions descended the staircase. His eyes swept over the room, lingering on the mare in the bed the unicorn had just stepped out of. Well, who would have guessed; she's a fillyfooler! That must be her marefriend in the bed... Knowing that time was of the essence, he darted over to the nearby dresser, pulling the drawer open with his mouth as he glanced inside. Score! The drawer was perfectly organized, panties folded neatly to the left side, socks and stockings to the right. He reached into the drawer, grabbing one of the stacks of underwear, and he quickly stowed the panties in his saddlebag. He grinned to himself, smirking as he made his way out of the bedroom. As the door clicked behind him, Twilight turned, her eyes narrowing as she glared at him. “What were you doing in my bedroom?” Mordronous and Zeo stared at him, waiting to hear his excuse, hoping that he wouldn’t blow the whole operation. “Um.. I had to use your bathroom. I hope that's ok..?” He said, smiling nervously at her in what he hoped was an innocent way. “I guess..?” Twilight said, quickly hiding a look of disgust. I don't trust these three... “So which book are you looking for?” she asked, glancing between the three of them. “Well, we've already checked ‘A Travelers Guide to Teleportation!’ but there wasn't much information in the way of what to do if your friend teleports off course.” Mordronous quickly replied, surprising his companions. “Yes, I agree; that's more of a starter guide than anything else...” Twilight replied, sighing as her eyes roamed over the bindings over her many books. She trotted over to the transportation bookcase, her horn flaring as she pulled down every book on the topic, her head shaking as she started looking through all of the books. Seeing the mare busy herself with her books, Mordronous slid closer to Garath and Zeo, whispering to the two. “I'm going to sneak upstairs and secure the baby dragon. Keep her busy, and whatever you do...do not let her come upstairs. Got it?” He asked, the threat in his voice coming across loud and clear. The pair nodded, stepping closer to Twilight as Mordronous slipped up the stairs and into the bedroom. He lit his horn, his eyes lingering on Rainbow's sleeping form for a moment before drifting to the small dragon in the large bed. He slowly pulled the covers back, a smirk on his face as he levitated Spike into the air. Spike squirmed suddenly, yawning as he opened an eye. His eyes snapped open as he saw an unknown unicorn floating him through the air towards a large black bag. Spike screamed, his voice ringing through the library. “Twilight! Help me!” Rainbow suddenly woke up, her eyes going wide as Spike yelled for help. Seeing an unfamiliar pony in Twilight’s bedroom, she leapt to her hooves, her eyes flashing in anger as Mordronous turned to look at her with a smirk on his muzzle. “Put him down!” Rainbow threatened, ready to tackle the ominous-looking unicorn. Mordronous chuckled to himself. Before Rainbow could jump him, his horn pulsed a dull gray, putting Rainbow in a dead sleep. He thrust the dragon into the bag, a satisfied smile as he started trotting towards the bedroom door. Hearing somepony yelling from upstairs, Twilight knew something was up, so she pushed the two ponies beside her away with her magic and ran upstairs. She burst into the room, her horn glowing dangerously as she glared at the gray unicorn before her. She looked beyond him, her horn brightening suddenly as she took in the empty bed behind him. “Where is Spike?!? What did you do to him?” She furiously yelled, sparks shooting from the tip of her horn. Mordronous chuckled, an evil glint in his eye. “Oh, nothing...yet.” Twilight stepped forward and tried to subdue the unicorn with her magic, only to scream in frustration as he vanished with a snap, teleporting out of the room. A couple seconds later, he reappeared downstairs next to Zeo and Garath, who were slowly picking themselves off the floor. He threw the bag to Garath, who caught it deftly in his mouth. “Go!” Zeo and Garath bolted from the library, quickly vanishing into the dark night. He started galloping towards the door and was just about to make his escape when it suddenly slammed shut with a loud bang. He turned his head toward the stairs, his eyes going wide as he ducked beneath Twilight’s former bedroom door. He lifted an eyebrow at the mare, staring her in the eye as she snorted in anger. “You won't leave until you give Spike back!” she screamed, her magic arcing to the floor around her. She secured the library with a force field, preventing Mordronous from teleporting away. She charged down the stairs, her eyes full of fire. Mordronous smirked, his horn flaring as he grabbed the contents of a nearby bookcase, throwing its contents at the angry mare. Twilight flinched as she suddenly tripped over a flying book into her legs, her angry screams turning into painful yelps as she tumbled down the rest of the stairs. Mordronous laughed evilly, a rather large leather-bound book held firmly in his magical grasp. He took careful aim and sent the book flying straight for Twilight's head, knocking her out cold. He breathed heavily, his eyes examining the unconscious mare. He felt all-powerful, knowing full well this pony’s life was now quite literally in his hooves. ”Maybe I should kill her now... save myself the trouble later...” The more he pondered on the idea, the more he seemed to think it was a good idea. Besides, he didn’t want her chasing him and making things complicated for him later on. ”Should I snap her neck, leaving a mess for somepony to find? No.. That's no fun.. Ah, yes I know! Suffocation! I always do enjoy a good suffocation. And the best part about it is, nopony will know she was murdered...” He laughed as a gray aura appeared around her throat, slowly growing tighter and tighter until a thought suddenly burst into his mind. Lord Anthautu did tell me to be as inconspicuous as possible... leaving behind a body isn't exactly the best way to do that...” He groaned in disappointment, his magic vanishing as he turned away from the defenseless mare. He so desperately wanted to end her pathetic existence, but he didn’t want to face his lord’s wrath either. He hated to admit it, but she did put up a halfway decent fight. He turned, broke the force field she had placed around the library, and galloped away into the night.