//------------------------------// // Captured? // Story: Duskfall // by Celestial Swordsman //------------------------------// Chapter 24 The party traveled on an unfamiliar path through the Everfree forest. Despite its dangers, it was a likely haven for retreating Lunar forces. More confident of surviving the treacherous woods than the air defenses of either side, Twilight had decided to make the journey by ground to be less conspicuous. The path was narrow and only sometimes offered a bright slit in the shadowy canopy of the tall trees. Dusk was compelled to sleep heavily by the exhaustion of internalizing too much drastic magic. Rarity peered through the dim undergrowth and shuddered. “Ugh. Why did we have to come to such a dirty, uncivilized place?” Rainbow Dash quickly interjected, “What I don’t get is why we have to go the Lunars. I was just fighting them yesterday, and this seems an awful lot like surrendering.” Rarity saw that the conversation was going to get political, so she shifted to the side and looked away, saving her complaints for later. The Solar scout hovered up out of the carriage and pressed her nose down into Twilight’s face. “You aren’t actually a traitor, RIGHT?” she demanded, almost accusing. “I would never betray Celestia!” the unicorn vowed. Then she reconsidered with a cynical squint, and corrected, “I would never betray her first.” “Wait a minute, what’s that supposed to mean?!” Dash pushed further. Twilight shook her head. “You don’t want to hear that. We’re doing our duty to the Solar Empire right now, so I guess that’s all you care about.” The soldier backed off, and Rainbow Dash returned to her seat as the friend. “Hey, that’s not true,” she rejoined in a softer tone. “What are you trying to say?” “She lied to me,” Twilight revealed. “She was always a lie, but she was the biggest lie to me. She practically raised me on lies. She pretended to care, but all she wanted was power, death, and gluttony.” The suspicion that Rainbow Dash had politely put away was rebuilt with every word she heard. “Stop it!” she barked. “You’re talking like Lunar propaganda!” She motioned to Dusk and said, “Was it something she told you? In her condition, she’s confused and could say anything, that’s what the General said.” “My brother is the one who would do anything. He can’t tell that what he’s doing is wrong anymore. He had you hunt me down,” Twilight reminded, stifling the pain in her voice. “She did tell me a lot, but I didn’t believe her. I had to show myself, and hurt her pretty badly too.” “What exactly did you see?” Dash asked skeptically. Rarity turned her attention to Twilight; it was a good enough question to rouse her curiosity. “She tried to warn me,” Twilight explained, looking down at the ever-ambiguous subject, “but I thought the same thing you did. Then, when I did the spell to restore her—“ The magician realized that the captain did not know what the process entailed, so she clarified, “It was a bi-conscious resolution…” Dash stared blankly. “Huh?” “Our Celestia and the dusk Celestia were both awake as I was operating on her,” Twilight finally said plainly. “I thought it would be smooth, that they might be compatible, but the Princess was actively killing Dusk. It was like she was eating her, and enjoying it. She was so cruel and disgusting… It was horrible.” “Wow,” Dash murmured disbelievingly as the three ponies stared at the tormented alicorn. Celestia shuddered at the memory. “I should have known. Death and devouring is what the dark arts are about. She was always more interested in my research than I was, she’s the one who made me start.” Twilight shook her head. “But that was the only way I knew of to fix her,” Twilight continued. “Then she consulted an artifact that seemed to have answers, and it showed her another way. She said there’s a place she needs to go, and she needs the sun, but for that, we need Luna.” “NIGHTMARE MOON?!” Rainbow Dash blurted in shock. “We’re taking the sun—helpless, confused Celestia—to Nightmare Moon? The night Princess who wants eternal darkness? The twisted vampiric monster that steals fillies off the streets at night, who has been terrorizing our country ever since she returned? The one who turned to evil because of her IMMENSE HATRED FOR CELESTIA?” Twilight and Rarity became visibly nervous and Twilight nodded regretfully as the loyal captain ranted. At the mention of that name, the gloom of the forest suddenly seemed thicker and more threatening. Even so, they welcomed the canopy’s thin protection from the moon, which stared down like a sinister eye. The drivers heard what was said with a raised voice, and stopped, unwilling to move towards the sky demon. “SHUT UP!” a thin voice yelled. Little Celestia heaved herself to her hooves and glared up intensely at all of them. She put her hoof to Rainbow Dash’s flight vest and growled, “Nightmare Moon is gone! Luna is best pony! When night falls, Luna protects ponies from ME. She’s been keeping us all alive for days, while you were trying to kill her. So shut up about my sister.” Her outburst finished, the tiny alicorn huffed and slumped back down. The three friends glanced at each other, processing the strangeness of hearing something like that from Celestia. Twilight took issue with their stalled transportation, and told the drivers, “Keep going, we won’t ask you to take us all the way to Nightm—err, Luna.” They reluctantly acceded, and resumed a steady clip so they could get this out-of-control job over with. “Dash, Rarity,” Twilight addressed, “When we meet NLR troops, you can’t say anything about this. She’s not Celestia—they’d kill Celestia—she’s a young pegasus called Dusk, one of my test subjects. I’ll probably take most of the heat.” She turned specifically to her pegasus friend and instructed, “Captain Dash, you’re still on duty. You have to protect Celestia. Don’t be too obvious, though, we don’t want to blow her cover.” Captain Dash saluted, proud to be charged with such a task. Twilight turned to Rarity with pleading eyes. “Will you help me, again? I know you’re not a Solar, but that’s why I need you.” Rarity nodded, and replied, “Of course I’ll help, if I can.” She reached for a cigarette to take the edge off of things if it turned out to be a difficult request. She hid her consternation as she failed to find a smoke. Twilight explained, “I need you to take care of Dusk when we can’t. You’re a civilian, so if she’s with you she might be treated better. Watch her and make sure her mane is hiding her horn at all times. File the thing down, if you have to.” “Oh, if it’s cosmetic you can count on me,” Rarity said, relieved. A pink and yellow shape flew out of the foliage and stood in the path ahead of them. The drivers braked hard to avoid running over the cowering pegasus. It was Fluttershy, and she held out her hooves and yelled an inaudible “Stop!” She immediately floated into the air and began circling her bewildered friends and franticly gesticulating to the forest around them. Over and over again, she yelped a plaintive message to the brush and rocks on either side of the path. “What’s going on?!” Rainbow Dash blurted toward their new orbiter. After several trips the yellow pony touched down behind the carriage and covered her face with her flowing mane. A low whisper came from under her matted pink shield, pleading, “Please don’t run away. Don’t do anything.” She hesitated. “I mean, if it’s okay—well, no, this time I think you shouldn’t anyway.” She was almost sobbing as she concluded, “I really don’t want you to get hurt, please, please don’t do anything!” The three friends stared confused. To their astonishment, Applejack’s face appeared out of a ditch—or was it a trench? “Whoa there, hold your horses,” she said urgently through her familiar drawl, “You can put that thing away, partner.” Big Macintosh loomed from behind a boulder, streaked with camouflage and shouldering a rocket launcher. “Eeyup?” he questioned as he lowered the gaping maw of his weapon down out of sight. Numerous Lunar troops peered out of their hiding places, unsure at the behavior of their comrades. Some gritted their teeth and eyed Rainbow Dash angrily. Despite her act of desertion, she still proudly bore her flight vest with gleaming Solar insignia, and no amount of firepower would convince her to remove it. “Hold your fire,” the NLR major ordered. “If any pony’s gonna kill ‘em, it’s gonna be me,” she growled from under her shrapnel-torn hat. Her hoof was seized on the trigger of her leveled rifle. She could carry out her threat. “Please, don’t give me a reason to shoot, or I swear I will.” “Don’t worry, we were actually looking for Republicans,” Twilight assured. Applejack lowered her gun and approached the carriage. “Bless all Luna’s stars, are you really deserting?” she asked with hope before her instincts made her wary again. “If this is a trick, it’s the cruelest thing there is. I can spot a trick, you know.” Captain Dash put her hoof to her chest and proclaimed boldly, “I’m not deserting! We’re here to negotiate, or something.” “I don’t technically represent the Empire right now,” Twilight clarified. “Actually, Solar troops are supposed to kill us, if that makes you happy.” Flashing a cautious smile, Applejack replied, “Ha! I always said I’d eat my hat the day you two wised up. I reckon you’ll pardon me for not making good on that.” “But we AREN’T deserting!” Rainbow Dash protested. “It’s not deserting ‘cause we…she is…um—“ she stopped herself. Twilight stepped in to bail out her zealous friend and explained, “What Dash is trying to say is that we’re still trying to serve Celestia. The real problem is that the sun won’t come up; that’s bad for everypony. Without the Empress’s direction, command has taken a reckless course, when we shouldn’t even be fighting at all. We came to discuss magic solutions for raising the sun with Princess Luna.” “For a second there, I actually thought you saw through the sun pony’s lies.” “More than it sounds like,” Twilight hinted. Major Applejack motioned to the trench and ordered, “Big Mac, will you get down here and tie down the wings on this here pegasus? And somepony get a cap on this witch horn.” “What are you doing?” Twilight objected, “We’re not captives, we’re here on parlay.” Major Applejack swung her rifle up and called loudly, “SURRENDER!” “Hey, what gives?!” Captain Dash exclaimed and only just kept herself from some foolish reflex. At a glance from Twilight she settled down. “Now you’re captured, see?” Applejack concluded, before she added, “This way my boys will have an easier time not shooting y’all.” The two Solars were motioned off of the carriage to be dealt with. Rainbow Dash grunted as the big red colt bound her tightly. A Rough Rider passed an odd ring device to Applejack, who proceeded to affix it on Twilight’s horn. Without special measures, keeping a magician captive is almost impossible. The “cap” was not foolproof, but it would make it much harder for her to use telekinetic powers. Applejack came around the side of the carriage to Rarity and hailed, “Howdy, Miss. Fancy seein’ you here. You put in with these no-good Solars?” “Yes, for old times’ sake, and to help them walk out on the Empire,” Rarity answered politely. “Well, in that case, it’s a real pleasure to see you again,” Applejack said pleasantly. Removing her hat, she offered, “It’s my honor to welcome you to our no-name camp. It may not suit a lady well, but we’ll treat you as good as we can.” “Eeyup,” Big Mac agreed. “I hope you know I didn’t mean what I said when we split ways,” Applejack continued apologetically. “I hope you won’t mind…” she held out a hoof. Rarity hopped down and invited jokingly, “Just keep it civil and mind the dress.” They hugged. Then Applejack spotted Fluttershy, still crouched behind the carriage hoping not to be seen. “Hey there, Fluttershy. Where’d you come from?” The yellow pegasus peeked up at her and whispered, “I followed you and I wanted to say hi, but I couldn’t, and then you were going to hurt them, and it was going to be awful, please don’t be mad at me.” “I ain’t mad, that was real good of you. Maybe even a little brave,” Applejack congratulated. “Really?” said Fluttershy, raising her head and giving a tentative smile. “Fluttershy, dear,” Rarity greeted, “We looked everywhere for you! I’m glad you’re alright—but really, you’re a mess.” Fluttershy’s mane was tangled and spots of leaves and mud stained her matted coat. She looked at herself and back at everyone, who was now looking at her. “Eeep!” she cried and dashed into a clump of bushes. “I’m in the middle of dealing with a situation,” Applejack commented to Rarity. “I would really appreciate for you to go after Fluttershy before we lose her again, as far as you can manage without getting too mussied up, I mean.” Without another word the unicorn trotted towards the foliage to calm the sensitive pony. “What in tarnation!?” Applejack blurted as she turned around and suddenly noticed Dusk. “You with the creepy eyes—you’re the one who was pesterin’ Luna. Who is this?” she demanded of Twilight. “Dusk is my test subject, or was,” Twilight started the deception. “Now she’s mixed up in this because she knows too much.” “I bet,” Applejack quipped. She pointed at Dusk and accused, “I was right you were no good, this proves it.” The truth as her shield, Twilight continued, “She was part of an interrupted experiment and it has left her in a bad state, so I hope you’ll go easy on her.” “Luna didn’t like what she had to say last time,” Applejack pointed out. “I’m not sure I—“ They were interrupted by an elated “Wooooooo!” that got louder as it rapidly approached. Pinkie Pie’s helmet bounced off of her head as she galloped through the woods from the back of the Lunar position to the site of the tense reunion. She screeched to a halt in front of Twilight and Rainbow Dash and started jumping around them excitedly, shouting, “YOU’RE BACK! YOU’RE BACK!” “Uh, Pinkie Pie, remember—“ Applejack interjected fruitlessly. The pink one came to rest in front of Twilight and said, “HI!” pushing her huge grin up next to the unicorn’s face. “Um, hi,” Twilight returned flatly. She was wholly unprepared for such a greeting. Pinkie tapped her hoof on the cap restraint and noted, “Ooh, you have bling. Remember to smile!” Twilight forced an uncertain smile just in time to have the air squeezed out of her in a giant bear hug. The party pony spun to face the rainbow pegasus and announced with building emphasis, “It’s Rainbow, Rainbow, RAINBOW—“ she exploded into a backflip as she cheered, “DASH!” Rainbow Rainbow Rainbow Dash smiled smugly and said, “Hey, Pinkie Pie.” Pinkie held out a hoof and Rainbow Dash answered. They launched into a frenetic series of choreographed motions as Pinkie Pie called out, “Shake it, pound it! High five, low, fake-out! Spin the record! Cock the pistol! Streamers, heil, party cannon, hacksaw! Ice the cupcake, outflank it, disarm it, eat it!” She held her hoof steady and said seriously, “Morsa—” Rainbow Dash finished, “—Muffins,” and they gave each other one last hoof-pound. “That’s our super-secret hoofshake,” Pinkie Pie explained to Twilight, and added with a wink, “You didn’t see anything.” “Ooh, you have a rope,” Pinkie cheerfully observed, as she began to notice the restrained wings and Solar insignia. Her buoyant cotton-candy mane suddenly popped and fell straight down around her face. She giggled nervously and kept her smile, but the giggle grew faint and strained, and ended like a whimper. “Because you’re captured. Because—“ her smile disappeared into an expression of pain and confusion. “You’re still a bad guy. And you make sonic rainbooms so your friends can kill my friends.” Terrible visions of the fight in the trenches filled her mind’s eye. Captain Dash nodded grimly. Pinkie Pie took a step back. Applejack shook her head and sighed, “That’s what I was trying to tell ya.” The disillusioned pony’s fear and anger rose, and she turned back to Doctor Sparkle. “You—you make evil voodoo stuff! You turn ponies into demon zombies! Like Mister Plinkers, and Big Mac had to shoot him!” Twilight stared blankly at her. She was still trying not to think about her research and its consequences. The Rough Riders, still with weapons trained on the newcomers, listened attentively to their favorite engineer’s denunciation. At last, they had two of their most conspicuous enemies in their sights, and after their losses some considered revenge. Pinkamena caught sight of Dusk and jumped beside her. “Did she do horrible experiments on you?” She reared back and commenced to sing in a shrill, desperate voice, “She’s an evil enchantress, who does evil dances! One look in her eye and she’ll put you in trances!” “Yes, I know,” Dusk interrupted. Gawking at the stranger’s black eyes, Pinkie demanded, “Did she get in your head? Does Big Mac need to shoot you? Big Mac, where’s your machine gun?” Dash quickly moved to shield Dusk from Pinkie and any potential bullets. Major Applejack sensed the situation getting out of hoof, and ordered loudly, “Calm down, Pinkie Pie! No pony is getting shot. Ya oughta be upset, REALLY upset,” she cut her eyes to Twilight, “but only filthy Solars kill their prisoners of war.” Pinkie Pie retreated to Big Mac and leaned on his side. “Ee…No…Whuh?” he slowly reacted. Major Applejack addressed her comrades, “These high-liners might have information vital to the war effort, and while they didn’t exactly repent of their evil ways, they did come voluntarily. You can be angry, but we can’t be double-crossers and we can’t turn down help.” A murmur of assent rose from the trenches. With the instigator silenced they remembered their duty and their honor. A distressed voice called out, “Applejack, Applejack!” AJ turned to Pinkie Pie and blurted, “Good gracious, what?!” “It’s not working!” Pinkamena fretted. “I’m leaning on Big Mac but I’m not feeling better!”