Hoops found himself stood in the market district, it was a small deserted square not far from the area of town his new benefactor had directed him too. The shadow creature had demanded he collect the ‘package’ and bring it here to be whisked back to the desert ruins. Something about a temporary host being required to release the full power. To assist in the task four creatures had been sent along with him. Much like the form of their master they were made up of shadow turned solid, clad in ancient armour and disturbingly alert.
They stood like windows of darkness in the early morning light. Out of place and alarming even to the man given charge of them. “Alright, we know what we need to do.” He said to them, they turned as one to face him and the sky-man struggled not to blanch. “We’ve got a way to go, so move it.” He half stuttered, looking around the square for a means to speed their progress.
Soon he had hotwired a car. One of the shadow creatures took the passenger seat, holding up a hand to direct the man. The others had folded themselves into the back.
The man and the monsters drove off into the sleeping city.
-*-
In the guest bedroom two mages and a healer looked down at their patient with worry. A distraught woman doing her best to keep it together looked at them with pleading eyes. The bedbound archaeologist gasped in her unnatural sleep, her eyes roving about under their lids and her hands clasping at the sheets.
“She’s in dreams... Dreams held in the thrall of the Nightmare.” Luna said, touching the woman’s head.
“Everything we know isn’t even enough to fight that.” Cadence looked sadly at Jack, her specialty was love and the blonde woman was pouring it into her partner to such a degree, she wished she could help.
“She is afflicted in spirit and spirit is all for a mage-born.” Mēi said softly, placing a gentle hand to the earth-born gunner’s shoulder.
They were about to say more when Luna stumbled a little on her feet, paling further. “Her agents are near.” She said darkly, moving swiftly to summon her warrior.
-*-
Twilight and Rainbow were woken by gunshots and shattering glass in the lobby. They spent no time concerned at their close proximity; the only action that acknowledged how they had been sleeping in each other’s arms was a brief half scuffle over positioning when they stood up. Rainbow moved to protect Twilight who was attempting to take a combat stance.
They felt more than a little sheepish that the problem seemed to be some rooms away. Rainbow pulled a revolver from her belt and Twilight prepared a spell as they hurried from the room towards to commotion.
“You get her hands off her!” Jack shouted from the first floor hallway. A trail of rubble and magical detritus led up the central staircase. Twilight pointed upwards to Rainbow and motioned to hurry. The gunner was about to comply when the house was plunged into darkness.
“Someone got the power.” Twilight said, trying to keep her breathing calm and steady. She swapped her stun spell to a light summon, an orb appeared besides her, lighting her path.
“Or something.” Rainbow added, there was a click as she readied her sidearm. There were more shouts, shots and a pained scream.
“Cadence!” Twilight yelled, panicking at the scream and running for the stairs. A figure rushing down them knocked into her, sending her falling down the steps, Dash jumped forward to catch her and aimed the gun at the shadowy figure.
“Do not shoot! It is I.” A’triet said, his hands up. Rainbow settled Twilight on her feet, leaning against her, and helped the warrior stand.
“What is going on?” The gunner asked, still holding Twilight but ready with her gun.
“Creatures, scions of the Nightmare.” He took his sword from the step he had dropped it on. “We are seeking them, they have taken Ms Rarity. There is a man with them who orders them around also, armed, he shot at us in the dark and we were separated.” He was poised and ready when further bangs and crashes sounded out from the back of the house. With a nod he ran towards the noise.
“Let’s get going.” Twilight said, her light spell back in place. “You should go upstairs, I’m going to go for the lounge and see if I can find them from behind.” The librarian ran off before Dash could object. Muttering grimly she ran up the stairs to the room they had placed Rarity.
-*-
Twilight knew Cadence’s house well, she had spent many a long afternoon there simply talking with her friend, and she put the knowledge to good use as she moved silently and swiftly through the building. Reaching the lounge with its large French doors to the garden in no time at all, she prepared to outflank the intruders.
She opened the door wide and hurried in, alarmed to discover an otherworldly light, a familiar sneering face and four alarming monsters. “Nice of you to join us egghead, but we’re gonna have to put you down.” Hoops said, a gun lifted in his arm.
Twilight acted quickly, her spell jammed the gun to uselessness and she dived for cover, rolling away from where she had stood. Behind a couch she could hide and check the room, or at least that was her hope. She only managed to sight the prone Rarity before thick black spikes tore through the seat and nearly caught her.
The librarian managed to dance away in time, shouting out “They’re in the lounge! They are here with Rarity!” to alert the others.
“That is our cue to leave.” Hoops said, making to grab for Rarity. Thinking quickly Twilight cast a spell. His hands could not grip the woman.
“Immovable object. Number seven, Shining managed to tease me twice with keep-away, the spell stopped that.” Twilight grinned sweetly, waving her spell glowing fingers. Even the shadow monsters were unable to touch Rarity. “Come on guys...” Twilight muttered, hoping her friends and allies would hurry.
Noticing her back-up was slow, Hoops took something from his belt, smirking a vile grin. “You know, spell casters have got to work hard with spells.” He made some motions with the object in his hand, the dim light concealing it. “Let’s see if you can keep it up when you can’t breathe!” He moved quickly, a whip rolling out and wrapping around the mage’s throat. Some complexity in the flick tangled it tight.
Shock, mortal shock. That was all Twilight could think for a moment, but she had to keep her spell going, at least until someone arrived. She worked one hand casting while the other clawed at the tight ligature. She began to wheeze.
-*-
Rainbow was in the landing when she heard Twilight’s shout. Cursing their luck she dove into the air to fly in the direction the Librarian had taken. “Quick! This way!” Pinkie shouted, appearing from seemingly nowhere and grabbing Dash’s arm as she was about to make a wrong turn.
“Pinkie!” Dash didn’t falter, people were in danger and crazy antics were not high priority.
The Corporal shrugged, as if reading the flier’s thoughts. She led Dash to a closed door and pointed. The unusual sound of jangling startled them but Pinkie soon sighted Jack running down the dim hallway.
Dash was about to wait for the trigger woman to reach them when an awful feeling of foreboding hit her in the stomach. She needed to get in the room, quickly. Wasting not a moment she slammed the door open in time to see Twilight faint to the floor, blue in the face. A spell dissipated and Hoops was smashing his way through glass doors, his minions toting Rarity behind them.
In seconds Jack and Pinkie were in the room, Rainbow pointed to the smashed glass. Jack was swift, taking her gun ready to fire as she ran out. Pinkie hung back as Rainbow threw herself over Twilight. The girl was blue in the face and not breathing, a wicked leather whip strung tight around her neck. Rainbow’s knife blade flashed in the moonlight as she cut through the strangling binding.
Still Twilight didn’t stir. “Come on Twilight, breathe.” Rainbow whispered, “Breathe Twily...” Still the girl didn’t. Out of options Rainbow took in a breath herself and leaned down, pushing the air in to Twilight’s lungs, juxtaposing this moment with the shy tipsy kiss out in the desert. Quickly she repeated the action, praying that Twilight would breathe.
On the third, Twilight gasped. She took in a great gulp of air as her eyes shot open, fear emanating from them. Rainbow lifted her up a little, cradling her as she sought more and more air. The fear turned to gratitude and Twilight took a moment to nuzzle into Rainbow as shivers took over her body. “Thank...you...” She wheezed.
Unable to resist, Rainbow kissed the indigo head below her. “No problem...” She was cut off by shouts and gunshots.
“Rarity still needs help.” Pinkie said, running from the room and into the night.
Slowly, loathe to part, they went after her. Trying to hurry while Twilight was taking it slow as oxygen reached her near-suffocated cells. They reached Pinkie at the corner of the house, her hair flat.
“We’re too late.” The Corporal whispered, taking Twilight’s free side to support her, needing to help someone at least.
They turned the corner to the front of the house in time to see a vehicle race out. Twilight pursed her lips and clicked her fingers, a spell darted from them and away. Using magic took it out of her though and she slumped in their grasp.
They saw Jack crumpled on the floor, worried it was fatal they hurried to her.
-*-
Jack ran after the monsters who had stolen her soul-mate, the treacherous man who lead them would pay if her sugar cube was hurt in any way. They were moving quickly, but Jack could keep pace with a racing bronco, the out of shape sky-man and his shadow puppets were nothing. A few warning shots had him ducking and dodging. She was catching up as they reached the drive.
She would have caught them if they hadn’t bundled Rarity into a car, if they hadn’t seeped into it faster than a human could sit.
With a roar the engine sprang to life and sped away.
“RARITY!” The trigger woman screamed at the departing car, running with all her might.
A loose cobble in the dirve tripped her, spilling her to the floor and her hat fell off “Goldangit GOLDANGIT” She cursed aloud, hot tears spilling down her cheeks. “Rarity...”
Behind her, Rainbow and the Corporal supported Twilight, helping her to catch up with the Appleoosan. “Dash... Help her...” the librarian whispered, her throat still hurt too much to raise her voice. Rainbow walked ahead, as they drew nearer the sobbing woman, she stood and looked at them, anger in her teary eyes.
“If a single durn hair on her head is harmed. Ah’m holding you fools responsible.” She screwed her hat on and wiped the wetness from her eyes and face. “The pair of you goldarned idjits.”
“We have a chance to catch them before they leave the city.” Twilight croaked through her hoarse throat, still rubbing the red welts of ligature marks that adorned her neck. “They must have been teleported here by the Nightmare.” She pointed out the direction the car had gone.
“So, they went in a car. How can we catch up?” Jack stood.
“I’m on it!” Pinkie declared, disappearing in her peculiar way.
“Wait...” Twilight tried to shout; she gave up and coughed instead. Dash was at her side quickly, supporting her. “I can teleport us there. I have a tracking spell on them.” She took a small bottle from her satchel, still at her side after so much activity. She downed the contents and was already signing the runes to cast the spell. Dash kept close and Jack stood near them.
They were in too much of a panic and hurry to consider that Luna, Cadence, Shining or A’triet would be useful to bring along. Too concerned with speed to think of telling them their destination. The four others reached the steps of the grand building just in time to see the group flash away in magical light.