//------------------------------// // The Promise // Story: Hidden by Shadows // by Authora97 //------------------------------// "You want us to hold her back..." Twilight started. "Yep." Flutterwing replied. "To keep your big sister from doing what big sisters do..." Rainbow said. "Yep." "Even if the pony is you..." Twilight again started. "For the last time yes! if Authora goes with Black Jay then Dandelion will lose her mother, Pipsqueak will lose her magic teacher and I will lose my best friend!" Flutterwing screamed at them. She even slammed her hoof on the wooden floor. "If I can do anything to keep that from happening I will but I need somepony with enough magic to hold her and a fast enough pegasus to grab whoever Jay has with him." "What if he doesn't have this pony on hoof?" Twilight pointed out. "And what makes you think we would be able to stop Authora?" Rainbow screamed at Flutter. She flew update to face with Rainbow. "Because you care about her as much as we do! Because Thora has gone to Tartartus and back to make sure she doesn't end up with Jay! Because as a pony who lost her father and whose mother is missing I am asking you to!" Tension filled the room, no pony dared speak. Tears streamed down the cheeks of Twilight and Flutterwing. Rainbow Dash just had a near staring contest with Flutter. Twilight was still trying to get her answer. “Flutterwing, what if he doesn’t have this pony on hoof?” Twilight asked her again. ’Knew there a flaw somewhere in my plan.’ Flutter thought. She gazed at the two mares, “You still keep Authora from making the deal. My sister may be smart, but her heart will usually cloud her judgement, greatly. I don’t even want to know what he will do to Thora if Jay takes her away. Look, I know this sounds hard but please, as our friends, just tell me you’ll do it.” Flutter pleaded. Rainbow and Twilight exchanged glances. They both thought this was a bad idea. What worried them was if Black Jac was some dark magic using alicorn would he just break Twilight’s defenses and take Authora? If he had their mother or some other pony as a bargaining chip would he kill her when he got Authora? Would Flutter end up being this pony? What if Rainbow wasn’t fast enough and Jay killed the pony before she could be saved? What if it was Pipsqueak or Dandelion? Rainbow was the first to speak. “I’ll do it.” Flutter smilied. “But only because I want to see the alicorn in pain for what he did to you guys.” “Twilight?” Flutter turned to the purple unicorn, the one her eldest sister loved to watch on TV before this Jay business. “I’ll do it.” Twilight said, sounding almost in pain. She liked Authora and knew if this deal should come up again Authora would be mad, no, pissed. Better yet, a whole new level of anger far beyond Twilight’s when her mane and body burst into flames. “Thank you so much.” Flutter said, hugging both mares. Who both instantly regretted saying yes but wanted to give some hope to their new friend. No matter what Authora did, she just couldn’t relax. He had found her. He had gone right up to Celestia! She knew that her mother was dead and that whatever he would use as leverage would be her sisters or daughter. Or worse maybe some random pony. Or one of the Mane 6. What would Jay do to her when he caught her? Authora knew he would get her a some point. Would he taint her with Dark Magic? Make her his slave that would ended up killing her sisters and Dandelion? No, that was absurd. No matter how much dark magic was used, Authora would never lay even a magical aura on Dandelion that would result in her harm. What if Jay decided to ra... Fluttershy shook her out of her dark thoughts. “Authora, are you alright?” Fluttershy asked. With a little hesitation, Authora nodded her head. “Mares, we need to get moving. Aloe says it’s time for hooficures!” Rarity cheered. Authora’ eyes widened. Despite being 16, she hated manicures. Pedicures, having her hair done up all crazy, it was more Skylar’s thing than her’s. “Oh, that sounds great Rarity.” Fluttershy told her friend. Authora gave a fake smile to them both. So far, they had received; the sauna, face mask’s, and mud baths. To Authora it was; getting really sweaty in a wooden room, having guacamole spread across her face, playing in the mud. Hooficures were basically having a pony cut of the tips of your hoof and putting paints over it that stung if they got in a cut. As the pink and blue earth pony twins and one random pony gave them all hooficures, Authora’s eyes slowly closed at the calming effect. She immediately regretted it. Jay as an alicorn with glowing blue eyes. He was giving her a stare that struck her core. “I will have you Abigail. Don’t think something as foolish as that white horse will stop me. They didn’t make me leader because of my parents. I am the most powerful of all Dark Magic Users. You will be mine. This I promise you.” Her tear blue eyes shot open, she shot up in an almost cartoon manner and ran for her life as though Jay was right behind her. “Authora, where are you going dear?” Rarity knew her question was idiotic as soon as she finished. Authora was mute. There was no way she could answer her at the speed she was going. “Please excuse us. It seems our friend is still stressed.” Rarity quickly explained to the pink and blue twins while she and Fluttershy rushed out of the spa. A dark brown tail caught their eyes. They chased after the poor mare. Turning corners, bumping into random ponies. Fluttershy even flew up just over the ponies’ heads to try and find Authora. And when she did Fluttershy noticed a pink hoof drag Authora across a corner. “Rarity, she went this way.” Fluttershy explained as she and Rarity ran in the direction she last saw Authora. “...I know that the pony is a Mr. Scary McMeaniepants Thora. I’m sure Fluttershy and Rarity are in panic mode since you just ran out of the spa. Rarity might have even fainted for real!” Pinkie explained to a distressed mare. ”I know what I did was stupid Pinkie. But it felt like he was right behind me. I couldn’t think of anything except running for my life. That I needed to check on my sisters and Dandelion.” Authora told Pinkie. “That does sound scary.” Pinkie said, getting a worried look on her face for half of a second. “It doesn’t mean he was silly. If that mean alicorn had been inside the I’m sure over ponies would have noticed. And, a stallion in a spa? That’s just silly!” Authora laughed, it did sound ridiculous. Jay would never go into a spa, he wasn’t that type of guy. Most murders generally avoid spa’s Abigail. Authora thought suddenly. It made tears burn in her eyes. She brought Jay into her family’s life. How could they just forgive her for bringing her father’s murderer and head of the most evil group in America into their life. “Authora!” Pinkie and Authora heard at the same time. “Rarity! Fluttershy! Authora and I were just talking about you!” Pinkie cheered. Fluttershy and Rarity ran up to Authora and wrapped her in their hooves. “Don’t scare us like that!” Fluttershy told her. “We thought something terrible had happened. It. Was. The. Worst. Possible. Thing!” Rarity near yelled in Authora’s ears. ”I’m sorry. I heard something and panicked. Just that news about Black Jay has made me paranoid. Forgive me?” Authora asked them both. “Of course we do.” Fluttershy told her. “What are friends for?” Rarity assured Authora as a tear fell off her cheek. Authora could finally admit it. She was safe as long as she had these great friends. Alas, not all stories can have a happy ending. For a disguised blue unicorn was waiting in a clearing not too far from a familiar looking cottage. Waiting for his birds to come back and report. He finally saw the blue bird of Authora’s nightmares. “Finally. Next time fly fasters. Did you find anything?” The bird nodded and tweeted a few times to his new master. “Authora. Was a lovely name for her.” The bird tweeted a few more times. “They know I’m here? Perfect. Then they will feel crushed when I take Abigail. Good job my new servant. Go and get me more news on Abigail.” The blue jay flew off, not caring that when his master was happy it would ruin a mare's new happy life.