//------------------------------// // 19: Regret // Story: Live by the Creed // by FoughtDragon01 //------------------------------// “What the hay was that?” As though Star Light didn’t already have enough to worry about, during her search for Celestia, the entire dungeon rumbled like some kind of explosion just went off, and as much as she didn’t want to believe it, she knew exactly what that meant. A part of the place just came crashing down, and a large part at that. She almost thought that Celestia was responsible, but it couldn’t have been. From the sound of it, the collapse happened somewhere far behind her, back where Twilight was. Star was tempted to go back and make sure that the unicorn was okay, but she had larger things to deal with. “I just hope you know what you’re doing, Twilight,” Star muttered. She had hoped that there’d be more time before things started falling apart, but she was far past the point of having things go according to plan. She just needed to find Celestia, and quickly. Fortunately, a vengeful alicorn bent on destruction wasn’t exactly the hardest thing to follow. In fact, Celestia practically left a trail of breadcrumbs for Star to follow. Unfortunately, those same breadcrumbs didn’t exactly strike hope in Star’s heart. In fact, they they only served as a chilling vision of things to come. The stony corridor before Star was littered with the scars of battle. Pitch black scorch marks, still sizzling, dotted the walls, floor, and ceiling. Entire portions of wall were blown clean out by errant blasts. To top it all off, numerous bodies lay strewn across the ground, battered, bloodied, and beaten into submission by the angry princess. It was rare for Star to ever feel sympathy for the enemy, but those poor souls never stood a chance. If she wasn’t careful, she would end up right there on the ground with them. Still, at the very least, it meant that she was going the right way. Star Light slowly traversed the destroyed hall, stepping over the twisted and broken bodies of her fallen enemies. It was clear that Celestia was growing more and more vicious with her attacks. At that rate, it was only a matter of time before she simply brought the entire dungeon down, assuming time didn’t do it itself before then. As she traveled further, she felt that immense source of magic grow stronger and stronger with each step, reverberating inside of her. Celestia was close, so close, in fact, that Star felt like she could be right around the corner. The panicked pleas for mercy echoing down the hall helped solidify that. “Please. I-I can tell you anything that you want. Please!” “I know all that I wish to know already. Now, you are simply in my way.” Star Light neared the corner, hugging the wall. Just as she reached the very end, ready to peer around, another Eclipse member sped past her. He went by so quickly that he likely would’ve gone unnoticed by the unicorn if it weren’t for his terrified screams as he flew far, far down into the corridor’s murky darkness before crashing to a very painful stop. Compared to how badly beaten his comrades were, he probably got off easy. Now it was Star’s turn. She could scarcely believe the things that had already happened, let alone the situation she found herself in. Having to talk down a very, very angry princess before she kills everything in the dungeon while Rainbow Dash wandered aimlessly around Eclipse-infested territory in the same already-collapsing and about-to-be-blown-up dungeon with nothing but a purple bundle of headaches as her only means of support. And it all began with a simple, three-word mission. 'Protect Rainbow Dash.' It was a lot to take in, and it only left one question roaring in her mind like a raging manticore. How the hay did I end up here? But no matter the situation, Star couldn’t afford to crack under the pressure, even if the pressure was bone-crushingly enormous. As long as she maintained her composure, she’d be fine. Now, if she could just convince her racing heart, shaky limbs, and erratic breathing of that, then perhaps she’d have a better chance of getting out of there unsinged. “Okay, Star Light. Just calm down. Just keep it cool and you’ll be fine. Just… just explain the situation and take things from there. Sure, the princess is attacking anything that looks at her funny, but who isn’t these days, right? Heh. Yeah. Just… stay calm. I mean, things have already gotten this bad, how can it get any worse?” “I'm sorry. Am I interrupting something?” Star Light's breath came to an immediate halt in her throat. She felt something heavy drop into her stomach. It was either her heart, the indescribable sense of fear bubbling in her gut, or both. Either way, as the words of the white alicorn slowly registered in her mind, she quickly realized that she was in a very, very, very unfavorable situation. Somehow, she wasn't surprised. Well... I had a good run while it lasted. ---- “I guess that explains what that noise was,” Twilight said as she stared at the collapsed remains of the hall before her. It certainly begged a question as to how it happened, but Twilight was more concerned by the fact that the trail of Rainbow’s feathers stopped there as well. Oddly enough, Twilight wouldn’t have been surprised if the pegasus was somehow responsible. “I just hope Rainbow wasn’t caught up in all of that.” Just as a plethora of scenarios started flooding Twilight’s head, she shook them all out. “No, no. I shouldn’t think like that. She’d be able to outrun something like this. Or out... fly. She’s fine. I just have to find her.” With that route blocked, Twilight retraced her steps and went down a different section of the dungeon. As large as the place was, there had to be other paths that lead to the same place. She already knew that the dungeon was bound to be one giant maze, but it was still ridiculous just how large it was. She could’ve made two trips around Ponyville in the time it took her to take that single dead-end path. Traversing the place was already difficult enough when she had a trail to follow, but now she may as well have been walking blind. Still, she wasn’t ready to give up just yet. Far from it. There had to be other means of knowing where she was going. A map, perhaps. A place that large had to have at least a few lying around somewhere. Of course, that left the problem of actually finding one, a recurring issue that seemed a bit too eager to rear its ugly head again and again. However, her search would have to wait. As she travelled through the murky darkness of the hall, nearing another corner, she stopped in her tracks, her ears perked up. In the deafening silence of the dungeon, she heard another pony’s footsteps, and they were headed straight towards her. Through the initial dread coursing through her veins, a part of her remained hopeful, wanting to believe that it was Rainbow Dash. The sensible part of her knew that that was a terrible idea. As long as the risk of running into the enemy remained, she needed to remain cautious. She could always fight, but she had no idea just how many were potentially surrounding her. Making too much noise may as well have been the same as drenching herself in ketchup and running into a timberwolf’s den. No, she needed to hide, but there was no discernible cover nearby. With those hoofbeats growing closer with each passing second, Twilight needed to do something quickly. So she did. I hope this works… As time ticked away, Twilight quickly put all of her focus into a last-second spell. A lavender aura wrapped itself tightly around her, warping and bending light around her body. In just a mere few seconds, Twilight’s body distorted and faded away until she was completely invisible to the naked eye. Not a second too soon, either. As soon as she was out of sight, a pony did come around the corner. Twilight undoubtedly made the right call in hiding; it certainly wasn’t a pony that she recognized, nor was it one that she wanted to meet. She just stood there, deathly still and with breath held. All she could do was hope that he hadn’t heard her. In the dead silence, a single peep would blow her cover. As the stallion neared her, Twilight had to bite her tongue just to keep from making the slightest noise. She practically flattened herself against the wall, praying that he didn’t brush up against her. She felt her very skin crawl as though it itself was trying to create as much distance between it and the stallion as nature allowed. After what had to be the longest seconds of Twilight’s life, the stallion finally walked past her, still oblivious to her presence, thankfully. In fact, he seemed to have his attention fixed on the collapsed hall that Twilight just left. He was no doubt investigating the source of all the noise, but if it got his attention, then it likely attracted the attention of others. Whether or not more would arrive, Twilight didn’t know nor did she want to find out. She just wanted to get out of there before trouble found her. After making doubly sure that it was safe to move, Twilight slowly—very, very slowly—crept down the hall, away from the stallion. She was practically wading through the tension as she made her way down the hall at a snail’s pace. Each step was a painstakingly calculated movement, as Twilight was careful to avoid pebbles and loose bits of stone as though they were the plague. Even the mere act of breathing was a risk. Twilight slowly inhaled and slowly exhaled. A single breath too sharp or too loud may as well have been glass shattering. It was a daunting task, but Twilight was managing to pull it off. Each step closer was a step closer towards her friends. It wasn’t too long before she found her rhythm and finally grew comfortable. Perhaps too comfortable. She knew that she should’ve expected things to be more difficult than traveling from Point A to Point B, but she couldn’t help but feel a calming sense of relief with each step. As she gained distance from her would-be attacker, however, she grew careless. Just as it felt as though freedom was well within her reach, that freedom was violently wrenched away when she failed to notice a loose piece of stone jutting out of the ground. By the time she noticed it, she had already stepped on it. The sound of stone clanking against stone shattered the silence like a thin pane of glass. Twilight stopped dead in her tracks as her breath caught in her throat. If her body could still be seen, she’d have been as white as a ghost. The noise lingered for only a second. It went by so fast that Twilight almost believed that it hadn’t happened in the first place. She wanted to, wanted to ignore it, to believe that it was her fear and paranoia playing cruel tricks on her, but she couldn’t. All she could do was stand there, stock still, and pray that the stallion hadn’t heard her. Clip-clop. Clip-clop. A chill ran up Twilight’s spine as she heard the undeniable hoofbeats of the stallion as he walked back towards her. She didn’t dare breathe, let alone turn around. Her heart pounded against her chest as the seconds ticked by and as the hoofbeats grew louder, but she couldn’t lose her composure. Things were bad, yes, but they would only get worse if she didn’t act smart. He may have heard her, but Twilight still kept her cloaking spell up. As long as she didn’t make any more noise, she should’ve been able to continue unnoticed. That single possibility was the only thing keeping her from screaming out right then and there. The hoofbeats grew louder with each passing second, becoming drums pounding inside Twilight’s eardrums. As quiet as she wanted to be, she couldn’t keep herself from trembling out of pure fear. Louder and louder the hoofbeats grew. Closer and closer the stallion became. The tingling throughout Twilight’s body was nearly unbearable, and it only grew worse. Who was she trying to fool? It was a lost cause. He was toying with her. He knew that she was there and wanted her to marinate in her own terror. Twilight needed to do something. Just standing there wasn’t going to be enough to get out of there. Just running away wasn’t a very viable option, either. If she wanted to be free from the threat, then she needed to get rid of it. It could get loud, yes. It could attract more unwanted attention, yes. However, that would be a better outcome than whatever would happen were she to do nothing. She gritted her teeth, steeling herself for the attack. Even with her magic, she couldn’t guarantee herself an easy fight. The Solar Eclipse, sworn enemy of the Assassins, a group of highly skilled and trained warriors. How powerful could members of such an organization be? Powerful enough to persevere through over a thousand years’ worth of history. Powerful enough to obtain a mystical ancient artifact and utilize it on an entire city. Powerful enough to be a very real threat to Equestria. How could Twilight hope to even hold a candle up to such a thing? No. No, I… I can do this. Twilight couldn’t afford to doubt herself. Not now. She’d been through worse and always came out fine. No matter how bad things were, she could pull through as long she never gave up. This was no different. But if she was going to do something, she had no more time to ponder on it. Taking in a deep, sharp breath, Twilight spun around. She dispelled her cloaking spell, instead focusing her magic into her horn, prepared to unleash it at that very instance. He was prepared to fight for her life. To give it her all. Yet there was nothing there. Equal parts relief, confusion, and terror rushed through Twilight’s mind as she stood in the empty corridor. It didn’t make any sense. She knew—she knew—that there was another pony there with her. She heard his hoofbeats growing closer every second after agonizing second. She practically felt his breath up against the back of her neck, he was so close. She knew that he was there mere seconds ago, but her eyes clearly indicated otherwise. Maybe she was just getting hopelessly paranoid. With the worry for Rainbow’s safety stacked on top of the worry for her friends’ safety stacked on top of her worry for Celestia’s mental integrity, she had to have been a bit high-strung. Maybe she was just hearing things. It didn’t make her situation any less dangerous, but it could’ve at least served as a way to calm her nerves a tiny bit. It could’ve… if Twilight hadn’t still felt another unicorn’s presence. She may have calmed down if she hadn’t heard more hoofbeats right next to her. What Twilight felt next wasn’t fear, or worry, or surprise. No, what she felt next was pain as she felt something kick her square in her ribs. Hard. The force of the blow not only knocked the wind clean out of her lungs, it sent her crashing into the wall next to her before she fell to the ground. Through the blurred vision and coughing fit, she saw what she should’ve suspected from the very first second. The stallion that was stalking her mere seconds ago reappeared right before her eyes as he cancelled his own cloaking spell. He stared down at the mare’s battered form, not looking any worse for wear himself. Somehow, Twilight suspected that if he wanted to put more strength behind that buck, he very well would’ve. As she lay there, at the stallion’s mercy, she didn’t feel fear for her life. She felt anger towards herself. How could she have been so hopelessly stupid? She felt his magic; she knew that he was there, right next to her, yet she was too busy questioning if it was reality or just her paranoia playing tricks on her. Now, she was paying the price for her carelessness. Slowly, menacingly, the hooded stallion approached the downed unicorn, his own horn glowing a menacing red. Heart racing, Twilight tried to conjure a last-minute spell. Something, anything, but her horn only released a few miserable sparks. Her chest felt like it was on fire; just breathing sent cascades of pain through her ribs, and it was that exact pain that made concentration near impossible. She tried to force herself onto her feet, only to have the stallion fire a bolt of energy at one of her hooves. It hit the ground next to her front hoof, but the small blast radius was enough to knock her back off balance. Now he was just toying with her, just when Twilight thought that the situation couldn’t get even more miserable. The stallion stood over the unicorn, staring down at her from behind the darkness that his black hood provided. He was savoring the moment, relishing in the power he held over his prey, before he delivered the final blow. Was this really how it was going to end? With Twilight falling to some hooded unknown in the bowels of an ancient dungeon? She had to come to protect Rainbow and her friends, and there she was, unable to protect herself. No. She wasn’t going to lose here. She wasn’t going fail. She wouldn’t. She couldn’t, not with so much at stake. She didn’t care what she had to do. She didn’t care how tired she was. She didn’t care how much pain she was in. She couldn’t lose. When the stallion brought his hoof down towards Twilight’s neck, he found it colliding with a strong, purple barrier. She couldn’t lose. With tears seeping from her eyes, Twilight forced her pained body back onto her hooves, pushing the stallion back all the while. Her glare, searing hot, bore its way into the stallion’s very soul. She couldn’t lose. The stallion wasted no time in responding. He leapt back, creating distance between himself and his target. He fired bolt after bolt of energy at the young unicorn, all of them bouncing off of the stalwart barrier. Twilight gritted her teeth with each impact. They were powerful, more so than what she was used to dealing with, but her barrier remained firm and strong. She wouldn’t lose. As she grew closer, the stallion backed away. Whether or not it was out of fear, Twilight didn’t know nor did she care. If retreating crossed his mind, then she wasn’t going to give him the opportunity to do so. He may not have expected a fight from the young mare, but that didn’t mean that he wasn’t going to get one. With a final surge of energy, Twilight sent a single, concentrated beam of magic at the stallion. It travelled the distance between them in less time than it took to blink. The stallion had no hope of avoiding it. The purple bolt struck him dead in the chest, the impact sending him off of his hooves and down the hall. He landed with a heavy, painful thud, quickly skidding to a stop. The silence that followed the short skirmish was practically deafening. The next few seconds that ticked by did so at an agonizingly slow rate. All the while, neither Twilight nor the stallion moved an inch. Twilight just stood there as her protective barrier slowly dispersed into a few purple wisps in the air. It took her frazzled mind a moment to register what had just happened. The emotions that just overcame her, it was unlike anything she’d ever felt before. She could scarcely recall the last time she felt pure scorn for another being. Even with the likes of Discord and Chrysalis, she only wished that proper justice be brought upon them. Never did she want another being to die, yet she just tried to kill, to murder, the stallion lying completely still before her. Was it merely instinct taking over, the anger influencing her actions? She wanted to believe that she was just lost in the moment, but she just didn’t know. She couldn't be capable of doing such a thing. She just couldn't. As she felt the tears begin to build in her eyes, she perked up when she saw the prone stallion move again. Or rather, try to move. He tried to force himself up back onto his hooves, only to collapse again. The pain his body was in had to be indescribable. However, that didn’t change the fact that he knew things that Twilight wanted to know, and as long as he could still talk, he was going to tell her. Fighting through the pain in her chest, Twilight walked towards her would-be assailant, each step sending another wave of pain through her body. Part of her told her to go easy on him, that all living things deserved some form of mercy. However, that part of her mind may as well have been talking to a brick wall; Twilight was far too concerned with the fact that this stallion was part of the group that held her friends captive. If she even had an inkling of reason to believe that they were harmed, then her showing mercy was the last thing that he’d have to worry about. The stallion still tried to get back on his hooves as Twilight grew closer, but the mare was having none of it. With two precise blasts of energy, she restrained his front hooves to the ground, trapping him in place. The stallion tried to break free of his purple restraints, but he wasn’t going anywhere until Twilight allowed him. She came to a stop in front of her captive, staring down at him, her face barely restraining the anger she truly felt inside. “I don’t want to do anything drastic here, so I’m going to warn you now. I’ve studied various ancient forms of Equestrian torture and I will use them unless you answer my questions. So, tell me…” She leant down until her mouth was right next to the stallion’s ear. “Where are my friends?” ---- Calling Applejack ‘stubborn’ was very much like calling a morning migraine ‘annoying’. Generous, obvious, and something that one wouldn't want to find out for themselves. Though she was initially fine with the idea of waiting for Twilight, Rainbow, and the princess come and bust them out, when she felt the rumbling of what was no doubt part of the dungeon collapsing, she threw that plan out the window along with any sense of calm. The mares’ cell filled with the rhythmic sound of Applejack’s back hooves colliding with cell door again and again and again. Each forceful buck filled her with a false sense of hope, convincing her that was getting somewhere when she was getting nowhere. That door was built for punishment it seemed, not like that was going to be enough to stop the farm mare. “Hey, Ah think it’s startin’ t’ give!” she announced, only fooling herself. Rarity could only stand by and roll her eyes. “Applejack, please calm yourself. We won’t get out of here that way.” “It’s better than nothin’!” Applejack snapped back, bucking the door for what must’ve been the twelfth time. Just like the previous eleven times, all she did was give the door an extra set of hoof prints. “You heard the same thing Ah did! If we ain’t outta here soon, this whole place is gonna come down around our heads!” “I know that,” Rarity hissed. “I also know that what you’re doing isn’t going to get us out of here any time soon. We need another plan.” The way that Rarity was able to keep her cool was something that Applejack both admired and hated. The same mare that would faint at the sight of mud on her dress was taking charge of things in what was no doubt a life-or-death situation while Applejack was busy banging her head against a wall. How that was even possible, she didn’t know, but she did know that Rarity was right. Her way wasn’t getting them any closer to freedom than just standing around. With a calming sigh, Applejack finally decided to take Rarity’s advice. “Alright, alright. Gimme a sec.” Applejack leapt up onto her hind legs and peered through the door’s tiny window. From there, she could see a guard, as expected. However, what she was really concerned with were the keys dangling from his robes. One of those no doubt went to the door between them and freedom. It was their ticket out of there. With a satisfied smile, Applejack turned back towards her friends. “Alright, I think I’ve got another plan,” she whispered. “Well, let’s hear it,” Rarity said, walking up to her side. “That guard out there’s got the key to this cell on ‘im. Think you could use your magic to grab ‘em?” Rarity tapped a hoof to her chin in contemplation. It certainly didn’t sound like a bad plan; it was miles better than Applejack’s previous plan, but there had to have been a catch. It just sounded too easy at face value. With that in mind, she took a moment to peek out the window herself. Sure enough, there was a guard, and as Applejack said, the keys were right there, dangling from his robes. It wouldn’t prove to be a problem to simply bring the keys over to them with a bit of magic. However, as good as the plan seemed, Applejack overlooked one, tiny detail. “Applejack, dear, you do realize that the guard is still awake, yes? Even if we did retrieve the keys, he would be on us like a rabid dog before we even left the cell.” The farm pony hardly seemed concerned with that little fact. In fact, something of a smirk appeared on her face. “Well, there’s four of us and only one o’ him. I say we can take ‘im.” “And what if he calls for help?” Applejack’s hoof found its way to her face as she let out an annoyed sigh. “Look, do you have a better idea?” Rarity’s glare only sharpened. “I never said that it was a bad idea. I’m saying that we need to be smarter about this.” “Well, if you’re gonna do somethin’, do it quick. That collapse sounded close. Ah don’t wanna be here if another one hits.” “I know, I know. Just give me a moment, please.” Just when they all thought that things couldn’t get any worse, a new problem decided to rear its ugly head. They already had enough reason to get out of that small, stone box. Now, the reason’s been doubled. As Rarity racked her brain for another way out, Applejack turned her attention towards the two mares who had been rather quiet during their little epidemic. Fluttershy was hardly the unusual case. The pegasus was tucked away in the corner, her hooves covering her eyes as though it was all just one bad dream. If Applejack thought that things were hitting her hard, it had to be nothing compared to what that pegasus was going through. Pinkie, however, had been uncharacteristically quiet for quite some time. She was tucked away in the corner opposite of Fluttershy, her back to the rest of them. All the while, it looked like she was fiddling with something. What that was, Applejack had no idea. “Pinkie, what’re you doin’ over there?” Applejack whispered. Pinkie didn’t even look up from her work, let alone give an answer. Were it any other day, Applejack might’ve just playfully rolled her eyes, perhaps slightly annoyed with the pink mare’s behavior, but nothing she wouldn’t get over within the next few seconds. However, this was anything but ‘any other day’. For all she knew, Pinkie could’ve been losing it; more so than usual, anyway. “Hey, are you okay, sugarcube?” Again, no answer. Applejack, slowly inched her way closer to Pinkie. As she did, she could hear the pink mare muttering something to herself. Applejack strained her ears, barely able to make out the words. “…and add a pinch of this. Add a sprinkle of that. Oh, no! That was a pinch! That’s way too much!” “Pinkie!” Applejack shouted. That seemed to finally capture the mare’s attention because Pinkie finally looked up from whatever it was that she was doing. “Oh, hi, Applejack!” she cheerfully greeted. “Just gimme a minute. I’m almost done.” Applejack just raised a single confused eyebrow. “Done with what? Just what in the hay are ya doin’, girl?” Pinkie tapped a hoof to her chin as she considered answering. “Well… since you asked…” Pinkie took in a deep breath, a torrent of words building up in her throat. Applejack, coming to the terrifying realization of what she had just done, just pulled her hat down over her face. “Aw, dang it,” she muttered. “I made this! What do ya think? Ain’t it neat?” Applejack’s ears instinctively twitched as she braced herself for more of what was no doubt another one of Pinkie’s breathless rants. However, none of that came. “Oh, did you hide something in your hat?” Pinkie asked. “Did you make something fancy, too? Oh, let me see! Let me see!” Though it should’ve been the least of her concerns, Applejack couldn’t help but notice that the pink pony was surprisingly concise. Peeking out from under her hat, she saw Pinkie holding out what she was going on about. A small pile of a silvery powder rested on Pinkie’s hoof. Applejack eyed the strange powder with equal parts interest and confusion. “What the hay is that supposed to be?” “Sleeping powder, silly!” Pinkie beamed. The orange mare immediately jerked her head back from the substance. Just when she thought that things couldn’t get any weirder, then again, it was Pinkie that she was talking about. “And how did you make sleeping powder?” “Oh, it’s really easy! Zecora taught me how when I told her that Mr. Cake’s ‘special medicine’ wasn’t helping him sleep at night. I still don’t know how cider’s supposed to help you sleep at night, but Mr. Cake’s just silly like that. Anyway, you just need a few mushrooms that love growing in places like this! Perfect for sleeping parties! The ponies at those have so many crazy dreams when they use this. It’s great!” Right as Applejack was about to question the point of a ‘sleeping party’, the pink pony, sleeping powder resting on her hoof, hopped over to the cell door, as bubbly as ever. “But why make it? Now ain’t exactly the time for sleepin’, sugarcube.” “I know! It’s isn’t for me, silly!” Rarity snapped out of her mental planning session just in time to see the pink enigma bouncing up and down in front of the door. If Applejack was confused, then Rarity was downright dumbfounded. “Er… Pinkie, dear, what exactly are you doing?” “Helping!” Pinkie cheerfully announced. She took in a deep breath and blew the powder right out of the cell window. The powder dispersed into a silvery cloud of particles that completely surrounded the nearby guard. At first, the gang merely waited with bated breath, not knowing what the final result was. However, whatever tension that hung in the air was quickly dispelled when they heard the greatest sound that they’ve heard in a long, long time. Long, loud, and undeniable snoring. That party pony’s crazy powder actually worked, and it was just the breakthrough that they were looking for. “Way t’ go, Pinkie!” Applejack said, patting her friend on the back. “What in tarnation made ya go an’ do that anyway?” The pink mare giggled at the question. “Isn’t it obvious, silly? Standing in one spot all the time has to be exhausting! So, I gave the nice guard something to give him some sleep!” Applejack just chuckled. Somehow, she wasn’t surprised that Pinkie was seemingly in her own world where everypony was nice, or silly, or funny. It was that kind of optimism that always managed to cheer her up, and in this case, it actually helped them out of a tight jam. It almost seemed crazy to think, but there seemed to be a method to Pinkie’s madness. Regardless, they finally found their window, and they needed to act fast before it closed. “Rarity, ya know what t’ do.” With a nod, the unicorn trotted back up to the cell door. With her target in plain sight, it was just a simple matter of reaching out, grabbing it, and bringing it back. It would be simple, if Rarity didn’t find it strangely difficult to focus magic into her horn. “What in the world?” she muttered. Again, she tried, straining, gritting her teeth together, practically giving herself a headache with the amount of focus she had. However, not even a spark left her horn. Applejack’s face did a good job of expressing her confusion. “Hey, what’s wrong? Why ain’t ya grabbin’ the keys?” Rarity rubbed her horn as the sheer concentration began making it ache. “I-I don’t know.” A gasp left Rarity’s lips as she realized what a reason might be. “Oh, no. Don’t tell me that they… Did they seal this room with a magic-proof enchantment?” Applejack could only scrunch up her face. “A magi-what?” “It’s a fairly basic, but very effective spell that most unicorns know about. They're particularly popular at insane asylums. It prevents any magic from being used as long as the enchantment stands. Only the caster can dispel it. I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to get the keys.” Applejack may not have been very knowledgeable when it came to all of that fancy unicorn-talk, but she still knew when a plan fell apart right before her eyes. “Dang it, dang it, dang it!” Out of pure frustration, she kicked the stone wall behind her, causing some dust to spill out from the weak ceiling above them. They were running out of time, as well as options. Despite that, Rarity was still trying to cling on to what little hope they had left. “Now, now, Applejack. Perhaps there’s another way out. Th-there has to be!” “Then we need t’ find one!” Pinkie just kept bouncing around, happy as ever. “I don’t know what we’re yelling about!” “Pinkie!” the other two shouted. Amidst the rampant panic, a young rat searching for food scraps found his way into the cell via a small hole in the wall. To the small vermin, the stream of shouts and bellows of the three mares before him was little more than intelligible nonsense to him. However, he knew that he had picked up the scent of mushrooms, a scent that he followed to that very room, and was going to find them if it was the last thing he’d do. Unfortunately, he was spotted. One of the mares, the white one with the bone sticking out of her head, caught sight of him. Her reaction was… less than favorable. “Ugh! A rat! Disgusting, filthy creature! Get away! Get away!” The mare’s small frenzy only served to frighten the small creature. Seeking shelter from the raging beast, he laid eyes on a lovely, soft-looking, yellow lump in the far corner. Wasting no time, he scurried across the floor as the white mare hopped onto the orange one’s back, much to the latter’s annoyance. However, as soon as his little whiskers brushed up against the lump, it moved, emitting a short, high-pitched squeak. As it continued to move, the rat came to realize that it was another one of those odd ponies. However, unlike the others, this one didn’t seem anywhere near as terrifying. In fact, she seemed a bit calming. The timid pegasus lifted a hoof from one of her eyes. As soon as she spotted the rat, a small smile graced her face. “Oh, hello there. What are you doing down here?” The rat just shrugged in response, rubbing his belly. “Oh, you’re hungry? Well, I have some extra food back at my cottage that I could give you. I just have to get back there first.” Despite being on the other side of the room, Rarity still recoiled in disgust as Fluttershy actually conversed with the disgusting thing. “Ugh, Fluttershy! Get away from that before it gives you a disease!” The yellow pegasus snapped her eyes up to the unicorn, eyes wide in shock at her blatant disrespect. “Rarity!” she gasped. “Don’t talk about him like that. He’s just a poor, defenseless animal. He’s probably lost down here just like us. Am I right?” The rat nodded. “I’d love to feed you, but I don’t have anything to give you right now. Oh, wait! I have an idea,” Fluttershy looked up at the cell door, noting the small window. She looked back down at her new friend with gentle, pleading eyes. “Mr. Rat, do you think that you could unlock the door for us? The keys are on the guard right outside. If you don’t mind, I’d really, really appreciate it.” The rat scratched his chin in thought. He glared back at Rarity, who was quick to glare right back. Fluttershy already sensed the tension building up in the air and quickly recaptured the rat’s attention. “Please, Mr. Rat? We’ve been down here for hours. And if we do get out, I can get you some food.” The rat’s empty stomach practically growled in response. He’d be a stupid one to deny free food. That, and it was virtually impossible for him to say no to those large eyes the pony kept fixed on him. Whether she was extremely nice or extremely evil, he had yet to decide, but that didn’t matter. The rat finally smiled before scurrying towards the door. Rarity nearly scrambled up the wall as she flattened herself against it, making sure that there was as much distance between her and him as possible. Only when the vermin crawled up the door and through the tiny window did she relax a single muscle in her tense body. Applejack only rolled her eyes at the unicorn’s overdramatic behavior. It looked like some ponies wouldn’t change in even the most stressful of situations. A few seconds ticked by before the gang heard the tell-tale jingle of a ring of keys. Sure enough, another short period of time passed before they heard something that sent joy through all of their hearts. With a loud click, their cell door swung open, the rat still dangling from the key in the keyhole. “Oh, finally,” Rarity sighed. “Yippee!” “Alright! Nice goin’, Fluttershy!” Applejack heard something clear its throat. Looking down, she saw the rat glaring up at her, tapping his foot on the ground. “Oh, heh, heh. Sorry. You did good too, little guy.” The rat promptly squeaked in approval. The timid pegasus walked up to the rat and scooped him up with her wing before gently placing him on her back. “Well, a promise is a promise. As soon as we get out of here, you’re getting that food, okay?” The rat gave an eager squak before hiding himself in her long mane, much to Rarity’s never-ending disgust. “I will never understand how you can do this for a living, dear.” “Alright, alright, enough whinin’,” Applejack said. “Let’s get outta here before more o’ these guys show up.” “But where are we going to go?” Fluttershy asked. “Anywhere that ain’t here. We have t’ run into Rainbow an’ the others eventually.” “Oh! Oh!” Pinkie cried out, pointing in a seemingly random direction down the dank corridor. “Go this way! Go this way!” Needless to say, Applejack wasn’t ready to take Pinkie’s random words as golden. “How do ya even know it’s the right way?” “Mrs. Cake always said that it’s important to follow directions, and look! Directions!” She pointed towards a wooden sign on the wall behind the group. Sure enough, it had a nice large arrow above letters spelling out ‘EXIT’. Rarity raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Oh. Well… isn’t that convenient?” “Well, Ah ain’t about t’ complain,” Applejack said. “C’mon, gals! Ah think we spent enough time down in this dump.” None of them could’ve agreed more. With that, they all started down the hall, towards freedom. For the very first time since they’ve been down there, things finally seemed to be looking up. Hopefully, it was going to stay that way. ---- If Star Light were to learn a lesson from the unfortunate predicament that she found herself in, it would be this: Never assume that things cannot possibly get worse, because some malevolent entity will emerge from the depths of Tartarus and ensure that said things will, in fact, get worse. It’s some type of law. As Star Light stood there, trying to remember how to use those things called lungs, she couldn’t help but feel that it would’ve been simply expedient to know of that lesson about ten seconds sooner. Once she regained control of her limbs, she slowly, oh so slowly, turned to face the princess. The white alicorn towered over the white-clad unicorn, staring down at her with cold, unemotional eyes. The faintest of red splatter stained her otherwise flawless coat. It was a sight that was equal parts jaw-dropping and terrifying. It froze Star Light in place, leaving her at the mercy of the merciless alicorn. “P-Princess Celestia!” Star stammered. In spite of the admittedly deadly situation, all wasn’t lost just yet. Okay, Star. Just explain yourself. Don’t stand there with your mouth open like an idiot. Just… say something. Anything! “Um… Er… Hi.” Celestia’s petrifying gaze didn’t lighten for an instant, her face still terrifyingly unreadable. It wasn’t necessarily the greatest thing in the world that Star could’ve said, but she hadn’t been reduced to a pile of dust yet, so it wasn’t necessarily the worst, either. Either Celestia just released a lot of aggression on the poor idiots that littered the ground, or she just didn’t see Star as enough of a threat to waste energy on. The unicorn honestly wouldn’t know how to feel if it was the latter. Slowly, Celestia leant closer towards the pink unicorn, their gazes never unlocking. Star Light didn’t dare move a single muscle as she was studied over. She knew exactly what Celestia was doing; she was determining whether or not she was a threat. Whether or not it was some innate ability or something that she picked up in her long life, she could detect malicious intentions almost perfectly. The alicorn’s eyes scanned Star from head to hoof, looking over everything from her robes to the terrified glint in her eyes with painstaking attention. Finally, Celestia backed away. The moment she did, Star released a heavy, relieved sigh. It may have only lasted for a few seconds, but it may as well have been an eternity. “Leave,” Celestia said. She didn’t bother waiting for a reply before walking away from the unicorn. “What?” Celestia didn’t slow for a second, didn’t even look back. “Go back to your Assassin brethren. You and your ilk have not been needed for centuries. That will not change today.” Star Light only stood there as Celestia walked further and further away. She couldn’t just allow herself to be brushed off, not with so much at stake. “You may no longer need us, but what about the rest of Equestria?” That still didn’t manage to slow the princess down. Star gritted her teeth as beads of sweat formed on her forehead. She didn’t want to have to use it, but she didn’t have a choice. “What about Rainbow Dash?” The princess immediately stopped in her tracks. Slowly, she turned back towards the unicorn. “What about Rainbow Dash?” Star Light’s heartbeat ramped up. She couldn’t turn back now, nor could she afford any mistakes. Celestia already decided to let her live. She wasn’t going to again. She needed to choose her words carefully. “The Solar Eclipse are aware of her connections to Shadow Streak. She will be targeted by them relentlessly until the day that she dies. Even if she does make it out of here today, what about tomorrow? Next week? Next year? Have you considered this?” Celestia’s razor sharp glare sliced right into Star’s very being. “Why would you ask such a question? Of course I’ve considered it. I’ve planned for it.” So far, she was off to a reasonable start. She needed to keep it up. “How? By locking her in an isolated chamber?” “Is that what it takes to keep her hidden?” Star gritted her teeth together. Things wouldn’t have been so bad if she didn’t already know that Celestia would do that without question if she had to. “So, let’s assume that you do it then. What will her friends think of that? Do you honestly believe that you’ll be able to convince them to allow one of their closest friends to be locked in a room like a mangy animal without breaking the close relationship you’ve developed?” Star Light nearly had to keep herself from crying out when she saw the faintest hint of hesitation flash across Celestia’s face. She could scarcely believe it, but she was starting to break through the princess’ stony exterior. Just one more push… “If you continue to do this, what will Twilight think of you?” If Star Light was beginning to feel confident in her coercing of Celestia, that confidence immediately disappeared when the princess wrapped a tight, magical sheath around her throat. With anger burning in her eyes, Celestia squeezed, and squeezed hard, watching as the unicorn before her suffocated. “You will not speak her name, do you hear me?” she demanded. But through her blind anger, doubt seeped into her conscience. Her student. Her protégé. One of the few real friends that she had. What if that was taken away from her? “She… she would understand. She always does. I have my reasons, and she would respect them. She would never…” Celestia tried to convince herself, but she knew all too well that Twilight, no matter how difficult the choice, would choose her friends over anything. She was no exception. To treat her own friends like one of her own personal playthings. What if she never forgave her for that? All the while, Star Light futilely tried to keep conscious as Celestia battled with herself. As hard as she tried, as much as her lungs craved it, burned for it, she couldn’t breathe in the slightest ounce of air. It felt as though her esophagus was being crushed. Only a few short seconds passed before darkness crept into her vision, encroaching over everything in sight. She couldn’t keep it up much longer, not at that pace. Just as it felt like she was finally about to step through death’s door, she felt the immense pressure on her throat disappear in a flash. Her fast gasp of air was so vast and long, it burned her throat. The severe coughing fit that followed didn’t serve to help. Still, she hardly cared. She was just happy to breathe again. Still taking in large breaths, Star looked back up at the princess. Celestia stared off into space, completely still. Her eyes were no longer the cold, emotionless ones that bore no mercy. Instead, they were full of regret and sorrow as they scanned the destruction that she had caused, free from her blinding veil of anger. She looked over the still and broken bodies of ponies strewn about the dungeon corridor. She brought a hoof up to her face, touching the wet, sticky patch on her cheek. She brought it back down, seeing her pristine, golden shoe stained red with the blood of another living being. Blood that had splattered onto her face. Blood that she had drawn. It was a familiar sight. It was nearly identical to that one, fateful night. By Equestria. Celestia, what have you done? “No. No, no, no!” Frantically, she tried to wipe the rest from her face, only smearing the red substance further across her cheek. It couldn’t be happening. Not again. She thought that she had finally controlled her emotions, but the evidence to the contrary was right there on her face and smeared across her leg. She thought that she could hide from the past, but it was always right there, right behind her, just waiting to come back and haunt her. After so many years of resisting, it finally did, and in the worst possible way. The entire time, Star Light merely sat aside as the princess came to terms with reality. As tragic as the solution seemed, waking the princess from her rage-fueled stupor, having her see the damage that she had done, was the only way to avoid something that could've been much, much worse. Even then, it was cause for little comfort. That only solved one of many problems; Rainbow and the others were still in danger. As Celestia finally calmed herself, she diverted her attention towards the pink unicorn. “Where is she now?” she asked. Star Light didn't need to think twice about who Celestia was referring to. “She’s somewhere down here.” The princess' eyes shot wide open, her face a pit of fear. “What?” Star Light nodded. “She came down here searching for Rainbow Dash and the others.” As those words sank in, Celestia’s face didn’t show anger, nor did it show worry or fear. As the princess wordlessly walked past Star Light, she was simply in shock. Speechless shock. Only now did her actions finally make themselves clear in her mind. Her needless acts of violence, her needless endangering of Twilight and her friends. She didn’t want to believe that she had done things so… idiotic. So reckless. Because of her, Twilight and the others were trapped down in that maze of a dungeon. Because of her, they could die if she didn't find them soon. “No, no, no, no,” Celestia muttered. “Oh, no. What have I done?” Star Light slowly walked up to Celestia's side. Even for beings such as the princesses, Star knew when somepony needed assistance. “If we hurry now, we can find them before it's too late.” Celestia’s confusion was apparent as she looked down at the unicorn, eyebrow raised. “We?” she repeated. “Why do you want to help save them?” For the first time, Star Light was the one with the stern gaze. “Just as you feel a special obligation to protect Twilight, I feel a special obligation to protect Rainbow.” “But why?” Star Light shook her head. “It’s a long story, one that I don’t have time to tell now.” It wasn’t as though it mattered. Even if she didn’t say a word, Celestia could discover the story herself just by looking into her eyes. Not eyes of jealousy or resentment, but of compassion. As the princess nodded, Star Light knew that she understood. “Very well. Then we must go immediately. There’s no time to waste.” “Wait! And the Staff?” That gave the princess pause as she made her decision. In truth, Celestia wanted to simply forget about the Staff and focus solely on the safety of the others. It had been nothing but misery ever since she discovered it. However, she couldn't deny ignoring such a powerful artifact would endanger all of Equestria. She had already acted recklessly before. She would not make the same mistake again. Still, her options were very slim, and neither seemed as favorable as she'd like. However, she only had herself to blame for ending up in such a situation in the first place, and as such, needed to deal with the consequences. The princess looked down at the unicorn by her side. "Listen to me very carefully," she began, her voice taking that commanding, authoritative tone. "Answer me truthfully. Can you be trusted?" Star Light's gaze didn't even falter. Her loyalty towards her creed trumped all fears. "My reliance depends on your intentions. It is my duty to ensure the protection of Equestria and its inhabitants. If you and I share the same goal, than my word will always be golden." The princess stared down at her with a scrutinizing gaze yet again. After only a few short seconds, a smile graced her lips. "Good. I suppose you still serve a purpose after all." "What do you need?" "I refuse to leave the Staff in the possession of the Eclipse. However, I cannot simply allow a mere unicorn to handle such a powerful item. Something that powerful cannot be wielded by a mere mortal without coming with indescribable risks. Therefore, I will continue to retrieve it. I am trusting you to ensure the safety of the Elements of Harmony." Star Light gave a slight nod of her head. "Consider it done." "Just know this," Celestia added, her gaze growing stern and fierce. "If anything is to happen to them, it will be held on your and your clan's head, and you all will be punished accordingly. Do I make myself clear?" Again, Star Light nodded. "Yes, Your Highness." Celestia's eyes returned to its softened gaze. "Then be off. Time is of the essence." Without another word, Star Light set off back down where she came from. "Oh, and one last thing." When the pink mare stopped, Celestia continued. "If you must kill, please do so when the mares cannot see you. However, if their lives are in imminent danger, do not hold back. Is that understood?" A single nod was all that Celestia needed to see before the two went their separate ways. As Celestia walked down that lone, dark corridor, a frown found its way back onto her face. It seemed that demons from her past were all coming back to haunt her at once. The blind, blood-thirsty anger, the rebellious Eclipse, and the noble, but obsolete Brotherhood. She had thought that she had buried all of those things, left them to succumb to time's cruel influence. However, none of it seemed to have gone away. From what Celestia's seen so far, that wasn't going to change for quite some time, and now some of her closest associates were becoming wrapped up in what used to be a personal battle. Celestia could only hope that things wouldn't grow worse. She could only hope that this nightmare would come to an end soon.