//------------------------------// // Cantervania II: Twilight's Quest // Story: Cantervania // by Lynked //------------------------------// (0,..,0) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5iPHgqiivg Applemont and Twilight stood outside the gates, in the freezing cold rain. They could not see beyond the gates, and, being honest with at least herself, the unicorn didn't really want to. Scar her for life? That... was just something she did not want. But it was for Celestia, Equestria, and her friends. She would do anything for just one of those, so with all three involved, she knew she had to everything she could. Still, she gnawed on the whip in her mouth anxiously. Kicking a small chain on the ground, she resolved to being as ready as she ever would be. She nodded to Applemont, who nodded back for assurance. But the message was said, and the silver armored pony walked up to the gates to buck them open. They swung ajar with ease. "C'mon Twi, we don't have much time." "A-Alright," she stuttered, trotting up to her friend. The first houses were barely visible in the mist, the moonlight not even reaching them. "I'm ready." The two walked into the town, slowly and carefully. Just as they were past the entrance gate, the mist shrouded them completely, but the rain kept falling. It was silent, almost too silent for the supposed chaos that had been wrought only hours earlier. They looked around, passing the first set of tattered houses, noticing the lack of everything. The ground, of course, was littered with blood and debris, but there were no bodies, and there was no pony in sight. "Stay on your hooves," Applemont warned, "This place is far from empty." There was no time to ask what she had meant, for only seconds later a cracking noise echoed from a street to their right. They stood on the corner of the intersection, looking down at the source of the noise. With the mist in their way, they had no clue what it was, but they could hear it drawing ever nearer. "Twi, getch'r whip ready," Applemont forbade. "What? I- What if it's an actual pony?" She protested. The armored pony said not to argue with a sharp dart of an eye. "If'n it is, then you can apologize for givin him a little cut. If it ain't, which it won't be, and y'all don't take it down..." Twilight understood. With her magic, she brought the whip high in the air, and uncoiled it. "What i-if it doesn't know we're here?" She asked when the whip was stretched completely. "Twilight, this is your first time, so Ah'll be nice. This whole place knows we're here, alright?" she calmly said. "What do you mean-" "Twi, hush and focus! This one's yours, you need a practice shot," she shushed, backing away. Twilight was about to flash another question, but a very close cracking noise, now louder than the rain, took her voice. The unicorn turned with her whip ready. A bone unicorn stalked from the mist. It was creaking, the bones grinding together. It had absolutely no flesh, blood, or organs. Yet it still walked. "That's not possible," she muttered, backing away. The thing kept coming. "You...How..." "Use the whip! Twilight, yer gonna have ta use the whip!" "But this is impossible! How can you kill it if it's already... dead..." she covered her mouth with a hoof to stop from barfing. "Dangit Twilight yer gonna be dead if you don't at least try!" Applemont barked. The skeleton was getting dangerously close. Twilight brought the whip up, ready to strike, but only words escaped in the deep, rainy mist. "I-I can't! It's a skeleton! It can't-" "Of for the love of Celestia, move!" Applemont galloped to Twilight, and shoved her on the ground. With her mouth, she lashed out at the bones. First hit, a perfect success. It's head flew off, and shattered on the wall of a condemned store. The rest of the bones fell quickly behind it. "Twilight, yer gonna get yourself killed!" "B-But-" "No buts! Y'all are gonna have to use that whip of yers if ya want to get to Celestia." The orange pony strode over to her, and helped her up. "This is why I didn't want ta take ya." "I-I can do it! F-For Celestia, my friends..." Twilight looked away, shaking her head. "I understand why y'all hesitated. But please, just, don't wait again. I can't always save yer life," she smiled. The unicorn picked the whip up from the cracked ground with her magic, and returned the soft smile. "Ah shoot, here they come!" Applemont exlaimed, pointing behind Twilight. The mare turned around, and sure enough, a barrage of skeletal ponies was creeping towards them. They backed up, but once they hit the middle of the intersection, it was clear that they were coming from all sides. Waves and waves of these undead ponies were flowing in through all four ways, and would be upon them soon. "Twilight, this way!" Applemont shouted to her friend. Twilight saw that she had run down a street, right at the wave of skeletons. "Applejack! Er, mont, whatever! What are you doing?" she called, frantic of her friends decision. "Well I reckon we can fight all of em if ya want!" she shouted back. Logic said that Applemont had made a fair decision. But logic was fading from relevance to Twilight. So, she charged in after her friend. The whip reared high, and lashed down on the first skeleton. For the Princess, Twilight calmed her stomach. The bones cracked, but did not fall. "It didn't work!" she cried out. "Then hit it again!" Applemont barked, occupied with her own enemies. Twilight watched her crack at them, some only taking one hit, others taking two, and a rare few taking three. The unicorn turned back to the first skeleton, and reared the whip again. It was right on her when she lashed at it, causing the bones to crumble to the ground. "I did it... I did it!" she yelled proudly. "Well that's good an' all, now do it again!" The harshness, Twilight assumed, was unintentional, and she lashed at the next pile of bones she saw. This one - obviously an older pony - crumbled with the first contact. She didn't know whether to feel disgusted or proud. Still, she lashed again, and again, harder and harder as the stress grew. Cracking filled the air as she made progress through the crowd of crumbling bones. Piles amongst piles of bones spread as she kept whipping her way through the crowd. It was the most awful smelling, mind numbing sounding, gut wrenching thing she had ever done. But she continued, all the way to the end of the mass of bones. Applemont was waiting for her. "See? That ain't bad," she smiled. "B-Bad? That was awful!" Twilight stammered, looking back down the misty, bone covered street. "Twi, before the end of t'night, y'alls gonna know what awful really is. That? That was easy," she snorted. She stood from the curb she was sitting on, and came to her friend. "But I know, it's yer first hunt. And to tell ya th' truth, that was way more than I expected. This vampony's gotta be pretty strong, I reckon." "I... Well..." the purple mare just couldn't find the words. It was as if the rain was washing them away. "I know, Twi, I know. Let's get goin. We were told that if somethin like this here ever happened, to head down to a place called 'Grapesheer's wine emporium'," she said as she began down the street. "I think it's just up here, so if we're lucky, we can get straight to buisiness." Twilight was almost disturbed by the casualness here, but followed. The armored mare stopped, and whispered," This one's mine." Twilight did not see what she was talking about at first, but soon, a skeleton crawled into her view. It's hind legs were gone, so it was a slow mover. Applemont took no hesitation to whip the thing's head off, sprawling it on the ground. The glossy bones shattered to dust, and dispersed in a plume. "How did you know it was there?" Twilight asked. "When ya do this stuff for long enough, it kinda gets to ya," Applemont said. "Don't worry, Ah'm sure you'll pick up on it." The unicorn shook her head, but resolved to keep the conversation at that. "Let's, um, get moving," she sighed. She let the whip droop on her back as she came up to her friend. "Right. Th' place is up here Ah think. Not sure, though. You've been here b'fore, y'all should know," Applemont looked back at Twilight. "And hurry with the directions." The orange pony nodded to the unicorns back. The purple mare turned around, and faced a huge crowd of skeletal ponies limping towards her. "Oh dear. It's, um, next to the castle wall I think," Twilight spurt, galloping away from the mass undead. "Castle wall, eh? Well then let's get the buck outta here," Applemont said, galloping beside her friend. They darted through the mist, and with Twilight's sense of direction of Canterlot, took the correct curves. Applemont took the liberty of lashing back any skeletons that were wandering around, cracking them to the ground. The unicorn just led, looking back behind her to see if the skeletal army was marching closely. She seemed to have lost them, but they were still there, she knew. Down a few allies, and up a hill, the Castle itself came into view. It was normal, structure wise. But there were no lights on, and the dreadful mist was pouring out of any entrance it could. Matching her breaths, it pulsed out, towering over the two mares forebodingly. Ignoring the gut wrentching feeling in her stomach, Twilight took a sharp right, to the shops that were on the Castle Walls. She had never really been a drinker, but everypony knew where to go for a good glass of wine: Grapesheers Wine Emporium. The fancy store stood as a silhouette on the wall, surrounded by other stores that were at one time fortunate to have such a prime location. Now, they were empty, their windows shattered, their once warm inside filled with chilly rain water. The two mares darted to the old entrance of Grapesheers, and kicked the door. It collapsed easily, but Twilight was met with another problem. Grapesheer had not made it out. The skeletal horse twitched, and headed for Twilight. But now that she was pumped with adrenaline, she easily reared the whip with her magic, and snapped it across the skeleton. It collapsed to the ground with an awful sound. "Nice one Twi," Applemont said, rushing in behind her. Her armor reflected the thin moonlight, almost like a pale torch. "Now c'mon, we gotta find whatever the Princess put here fer us." The armored mare began tossing around anything that wasn't already destroyed, frantically searching for whatever. Twilight, on the other hoof, stared out the window in awe. "They're here!" she called back to Applemont. "Well, uh, we can't take em all on!" "Why not? You're a vampony hunter, right?" Twilight steamed. Applemont kept looking around. "Er, yes, but that's a lot of skeletons! I ain't invincible," she snorted as she began looking around on the floor. "Aha! Right here! Twi, c'mon, get in!" Twilight looked back, and saw Applejack holding the trapdoor to the wine cellar up. All it took was one last look back at the creatures, as they creaked and groaned through the moonlit mist. The unicorn dashed to the cellar, and slid in carelessly. Applemont came soon after, slamming the door behind her. "Well that was fast," she panted as she slipped down the dusty ladder. The cellar was dark, the cool air obviously useful for chilling the wine. "Glad we," she had to stop for a breath, "Made it. To tell ya th' truth, I didn't see that comin." "Why didn't we fight them?" Twilight asked. "What if they go for Big Mac?" "I ain't worried. We didn't fight em cuz we need to save our energy fer whatever's inside th' castle, not outside. Big Mac shouldn't have a problem, and we wouldn't have had one either. But we'd be plum tuckered out if we stayed," She explained as her breath returned. "I, um, see," Twilight nodded. Applemont sighed, and went to the back of the cellar. "Now Celestia put somethin here, but Ah ain't sure what. A sword, maybe?" she suggested, getting straight to the point. The cellar was full of wine barrels and casks, with rows and rows stretching far back. But in the corner of the old stone room, there were two huge casks. "Wow, enough wine there?" Twilight muttered under her breath. Applemont apparently heard, and looked up to see the casks. "Now wait just a second, see there, on that second barrel?" Applemont asked, heading to the twin casks. Twilight trotted to them, her breath now returning as well. She was sweating, but that would have to wait. At the wine casks, she inspected the front to find what Applemont had seen. Down, by the small handle, was a tiny little symbol. It was strange; It was a fine carved C, with two small fang like things jutting from beneath it. It was right behind the nozzle, and so inconspicuous that she wondered how her friend had seen it. Maybe that armor of hers was special or something. "That there is the same mark on this here bell," Applemont said, pulling out the bell. She compared the inscription on the metal, to the one on the cask. "Twi, I think we just found a passage to Canterlot." "Well how are we getting this open?" Twilight asked. Applemont did only a little thinking. "We'll just buck it open, I s'pose. Normally, I wouldn't, bein official and stuff, but the rest of Canterlot's destroyed, so what the hay." She nodded at her ideas. Twilight was still uneasy about... well, about everything. But once again, she confided that it was for the Princess. Applemont was already in position, waiting for Twilight. Cautiously, she turned around, and bucked hard with her friend. The armored pony bashed through her part, leaving Twilight in awe. There was a hole big enough for them to get through, made by solely her. That was it, it was official; her armor was special somehow, someway. (ಠ,.., ಠ) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMFZ7to5RPM&feature=related The two of them walked along, looking at what they were walking in. At first it was simply a small tunnel, of old mossy bricks. But when it opened up, they began walking in some sort of underground swamp. It seemed like the Canterlot sewage dumping area. They were sticking close together, treading through the cavernous swamp. "Alright," Applemont continued, "The key should be in the dungeon. And we're lucky, b'cause I reckon seeing the entrance to this place at one time or another. It should connect with the dungeon." "Well I'll trust you either way," Twilight said. She didn't really have much of a choice. Besides, now that she thought about it, her friend here was the Element of Honesty. Her eyes grew wide as that thought sunk in. Applemont looked back. "You alright, hon?" "I, er, yes," she smiled weakly. The two were on an old, mossy platform, that was connected with a sprawl of others. The stones on this thing were falling into the black sludge almost everywhere they stepped. It was nasty looking stuff too; it was black, too thick to see, but swirled with horrid smelling...stuff. Twilight did not like to think of what was in it. From the roof of the cave, huge moss ropes dangled carelessly, still as death. In parts of the sludge, deformed, twisted trees sprung up with no leaves. Those were the only signs of life in this foul place, with the exception of the rare mushroom bundle. Nothing moved in the darkness, nothing at all. "Twilight, do ya think you could charge yer horn up?" Applejack asked. "We need th' light." Twilight liked the suggestion. Pausing to charge her horn, the light around them grew, vivid and purple. Now, with their sight increased from just two feet to a few meters, the ponies breathed easier. But in the distance, something shifted. "Hey, what was that?" Twilight asked, her heart thumping away. "I dunno, but Ah saw it too," Applemont confirmed. "It looked like... a pony," Twilight squinted. "Do you think that someone might me down here?" The armor clad pony shook her head. "Nah, this place's been deserted for a while, from the looks of it... Twi, get out yer whip." "Again? We just got done with the skeletons though, and-" "I don't set rules, when there's a problem, don't ask, fight. Got it?" She harshly whispered. Twilight scrambled to get her whip in her mouth, not wanting to use her preoccupied horn. She could do this. Remember Trixie... "Ah shoot, it's on the walkway," Applemont cursed. "What is it?" Twilight backed away in disgust. Her question was answered when she bumped into one behind her. With an eep, she jumped and galloped to Applemont. The thing she had bumped had a slimy, nasty feel to it. It was squishy, too, almost like putty. As if by reaction, she lashed at it with her whip. A cracking sound bellowed through the cavern as the slimy pony looking thing recoiled. To her dismay, it did not relent. The monster continued it's walk to her, slow, steady. She lashed out at it again as it came into her light. It was shaped like a pony, but was... mossy, and covered in a green ooze. Again, she hit it, yet it still did not collapse. "Applemont..." She muttered, backing up onto her friend. "Ah know," the silver shining pony said. Her helmet gleamed as she turned around. "Keep hittin it, nothin's invincible." With the advice, she twitched her neck, and let the whip snap again. It lashed across the face, and finally, the thing stumbled, and toppled. It fell onto its face, and did something that almost made Twilight finally lose it. The green moss pony splattered into a green ooze that stank horribly. Almost as if it were still alive, the goo slithered to the sides of the old stone pathway, and back into the black water. She had to lean over to the side to gag a bit. "I'm gonna finally lose it," she mumbled. "Not right now, you ain't!" Applejack said in a commanding tone as her own whip lashed out at an oncoming moss pony. When Twilight looked back up, she saw another one crawling out of the water to her left. It's mossy hoof made a sloshing sound as it hit the cold stone and splattered. She whipped it once, and it fell back to the water. Sooner than a second, it came back for a second attempt. With its other hoof, it pressed itself onto the stone. She smacked it again with the tip of the whip, watching as it recoiled. It, like the last one, did not stop. Once more, she lashed it, and now it fell to goo in the water. Her stomach was in an upheaval. "Twi, I need some help here," Applemont said, her whip cracking away. Twilight turned, and saw three of them charging in. As fast as she could, she brought her whip up, and began snapping away at one of them. Lash one, lash two, lash three, and the first moss pony fell to slosh. Applemont was whipping away at another, which soon fell to the same fate. One left, the two ponies took a joint effort, and cracked at it. The joint whip was enough to topple it into the water, and goo quickly floated up. "We need to go before more come," Twilight urged. Applemont nodded in agreement. Side by side, they barreled down the long, straight path into the darkness. Around them, more of those moss creatures were making their way from the water. When they could, they kicked them back in, but it did little to stop the mass behind them. With Twilight's magic, the two mares could see the cavern wall nearing in their fore. "Do you see the exit?" She asked Applemont in a hurried tone. "I, uh, there!" She nodded up at a door. The old wooden thing was facing in to them, but was high up, only accessible by severed stairs. The stairs looked as though they had been purposely destroyed; a huge part of them was on the floor, crumbled to dust. Still, the ponies charged onto the large semi-circle landing that connected with the cavern, and ran up the stairs as far as they could. "What do we do?" Twilight nervously asked Applemont. The armored pony looked around, the whip ready in her mouth. "We need ta get to that there door! Any ideas?" She eyed the swamp creatures coming. "Well I could form a magical bridge, I think. Then I could just teleport over," Twilight snapped to a decision. "Ah like it! Hurry with the magic stuff! I'll hold these plants off," she spat at the moss ponies, as the first one stepped hoof on the stairs. She immediately whipped it. Twilight turned, and focused all her magic on the gap. This would not be easy, but she was adept in magic, and would make due. With all the energy and force the mare could muster, she beamed down light across the gap, and spread it like oil in a pan. "Go!" she yelled to Applemont. The pony was more than happy to oblige. As soon as the orange mare had a good hoofing on the other side, Twilight released the spell with much relief. But when Applemont yelled out to her, she snapped out of her relieved haze. "Twi, hurry! Ah can't help ya from here!" She checked behind her, the room now dark, and found a mass of these foul things charging her. It scared her half to death. Quick as she could, she charged her horn again, and focused on getting to the other side. When one of the moss ponies scraped her plot, the adrenaline shot her across the gap, landing her on the other side with a violet flash. She fell to her stomach on these stairs, taking deep breaths to try and stay calm. A few of the moss ponies attempted to make it across the gap themselves, but wound up on the cold stone below. Applemont helped her up. "C'mon, I don't wanna stay here much longer," she forced a chuckle. Twilight managed to smile back in the cool, tense dark, and gladly took Applemont's helping hoof. Her metal hoof wrap was freezing cold, but Twilight could help but smile at the warm gesture. "Thanks," Twilight blushed as she walked to the door. (^,..,^) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDzt2cpj8Do&feature=related Both of them slouched on the door at the top of the long, winding stairs they had just climbed up. They were in the dungeon, as was obvious by the racks, cells, and shackles that lined the room. Yet the torches were lit, despite the rest of the castle being desolate. At least, it seemed desolate from the outside. Still, it did not answer the torches here. "Applemont," Twilight began, her breath finally having caught up to her. "What time do you think it is?" "Well I reckon about midnight. But, I ain't sure," she sighed. Her helmet, pressing her hair flat against her neck, smelled of sweat. It was reasonable, Twilight knew, but she would have appreciated it if Applemont had left it on. Now, her flat hair and the helmet emitted odors of pony sweat so sour she would rather eat a rotted apple than smell them. She was no better, she figured. "So, um, what now? I mean, I know we get the key to the room from here, but do you even know where the key is?" she asked. Applemont was busy tightening the strap on her belly. "Er, no. Ta be honest, I ain't been to the Hall of Relics b'fore. I have no idea where that key is. But," she grinned, "Ah know where th' hall is." "That's good I suppose. Where is it?" "Ah, ma plot hurts on this stone. Sorry, um, anyways, it's in the entrance of th' Castle. Y'all know how when ya come into the castle, ya got that big staircase that splits into two. Y'know, the one you and Celestia stood on durin the Gala?" She asked. Twilight nodded, and continued to listen. "Well, in the middle of that room, there's that star thingy. Celestia showed me an' Big Mac one time. Said she'd take us in when we we're ready." She laughed quietly. "Thanks Princess." "So that's where it is. But how are you supposed to, you know, get in?" Twilight asked, flaring her tail as she examined the dungeon. It was small, obviously only a portion of the whole thing, but the place seemed to be the most used. "There's a tiny little hole somewhere I reckon. We'll just have ta find out. You ready?" "I guess. Let me get your whip," Twilight said, pushing herself from the door, to her hooves. Applemont stood, her whip already on her side. "It's, uh, yer whip now. Ah can get another. That whip suits ya." She slid her helmet on, and walked away. Twilight blushed. She blushed hard. "Oh my, well, um, thank you," she shyly said. The armored pony turned, and chuckled at her red cheeks. "L-Let's get moving," Twilight smiled back. "Alright ya little deviant. I think th' key is probably gonna be in the dungeon warden's place. Definitely not in this little torture cave," She snickered. "Applemont, I don't think Celestia would torture anypony," Twilight remarked. The pony turned around, stopping at the exit door of the torture chamber. "Y'alls right. Celestia wouldn't. There are two Princess's, ya know." "L-Luna wouldn't," Twilight stammered. Putting her hoof on the door, Applemont sighed. "You don't know her too well, do ya?" Before Twilight could throw a retort, the door slammed open. Applemont was thrown back onto one of the X-racks, and landed on the concrete with a thud. Sporadically, the unicorn searched for what had happened, looking first to her friend, then at the door. The door held nothing; the hall outside was simple and empty, as a normal dungeon should be. But in the chilly air, she could see the breath of a pony. She hardly had time to see what was happening, when a bulky pony walked into the room. He bore a dark hood on his face; it looked like an executioners hood. But this pony, even besides the hood, was not normal. His tail was tattered, he had no mane, and Twilight was fairly sure that he was missing an eye. What set off her fear, though, was the fact that his ribcage was completely exposed. No living pony could have that. "Applemont!" she called to her friend. The strong pony stood and glared. "Ah dunno what yer waitin fer, start hittin him!" She yelled, taking her whip off its sheath. Twilight nodded, and grabbed Big Macs, er, her whip with her purple magic. Fast as she could, she began lashing at the gruff black pony. It seemed to only make him mad. Her turned, and charged at Twilight, picking her up with his head and slamming her into the wall. Her back hit one of the wall shackles, and she let out a cry of pain before falling free to the ground. Applemont cracked her whip on the Executioner's back. He turned, and growled at her. "C'mon meathead!" She taunted, leading him away from Twilight. She was on her hooves in no time, the whip back in control. She levitated it to the towering Executioner, and snapped it on his head. She must've gotten him straight on the temple, as he stumbled to his left and leaned up on a wall. Applemont gladly took the opportunity to escape her corner, and rushed to Twilight. The look in her eyes was easy to follow. Both of them darted from the room, Twilight giving the whip a crack on last time. She brought it back to her, and fled with it in her mouth. Soon behind her, the Executioner slammed out of the room, and chased them down. The two mares darted down the first hall they could. It was a small stone hall to the right, that led down a row of cells. No time to think, they darted through to the end. Before they left, Applemont turned around with her whip. "What are you doing?" Twilight frantically asked. Applemont shot her a look. "Well we can't have him followin us through the castle. We gotta get rid of the brute!" "Have you seen him! That guy's gonna kill us!" "He'll do it if we run too. I say we stay here and give him a good beatin, and if he gets too close, we run," she suggested, shrugging. Twilight hated to think about it, but that was actually...logical. "Fine. But..." she looked away. "You're scared, Ah know. I was too in this situation at first. But I ain't invincible, so neither is he," she snorted. "Here he comes! Get ready!" Twilight watched down the empty cell block as the Executioner fumbled over his own beefy legs. Stabilizing, he glared down the hallway with his one eye. He did not stay still, and was soon charging full speed down the cell block. "Get him!" Applemont yelled. She did not have to think twice. With her magic, she took the whip and brought it down with a hard crack right atop the Executioner's head. He fumbled, but kept his pace. Again, she brought the whip down, and again and again. She was sure anypony taking that much of a beating would be down by now. But this was not a normal pony. The Executioner was soon very close, and now Applemont could reach him with her whip. Together the mares beat him down with what should've killed anypony. But this one slammed into the armored mare, knocking her into the junction hallway. She slammed on the ground, coughing hard. Twilight, in fear and shock, found it hard to control her whip. Doing the best she possibly could at the time, she snapped the whip down onto his back, pulling him away from Applemont. He growled, and faced Twilight. She stood ready, cracking him again with the whip. Angry as ever, the Executioner flew at her, head butting her down the cellblock. She rolled down the stone floor, feeling warmth running down her lips. When the rolling stopped, she brought a pained hoof to her mouth, and wiped the warmth away. The red liquid was not plentiful, but obviously blood still. Now, Twilight was angry. Slowly standing - the pain in her legs was great - she twitched to the Executioner, who stood ready for another charge. He snorted and scrapped the ground, his evil eye piercing through Twilight. But the fierce growing anger in her eye flared back, and she quickly took up the whip with her horn and snapped it across his face. The Executioner gave Applemont a quick buck to stifle her recovery, and charged at Twilight. She slammed the whip down on him, but ultimately did nothing. As he approached, she jumped out of the way, and snapped the whip across his mouth to knock him off course. He stumbled away from her, but skid to his rear, and faced her once more. Applemont was up and ready now, charging in with a war cry that Twilight had never heard before. She screamed at the top of her lungs, and without her whip, jumped at the Executioner. In the bravest move Twilight had ever seen, Applemont jumped onto the Executioners back, using her forelegs to swing her weight around his neck. She didn't understand, but the unicorn went with it, giving the Executioner another lash on his face. The orange mare seemed appreciative of the distraction that held the hooded pony's attention as she reached down to her hoof, and pulled something out. The whip cracked against his skull again, knocking him to the right, and almost throwing Applemont to the floor. Wasting no time, Applemont raised on of the knives from her hoofwraps, and brought it down to the Executioners skull. It pierced him easily, and the strong, bulky creature fell to the floor, limp. Blood was spurting from his wound, and Applemont did not even bother to take the knife from his skull as she dismounted. Now, in the middle of the cellblock hallway, the huge Executioner lay dead in a pool of his own blood. "That... was... interestin," the vampony slayer panted. "Applejack!" Twilight cried out, dropping the whip and rushing to her friend. It did not even matter to either of them that she had used the wrong name. They embraced, holding each other fondly. "I, um, well I was scared," she admitted. "Thank you." Applemont smiled, and hugged her friend tighter. "Nah, Twi, thank y'all. Ya saved ma life more than once." Twilight blushed, and buried her face in her friends shoulder, just above her chest piece. The two mares, a vampony hunter and a very powerful mage, stayed there for a while, embracing each other. The moment brought some much needed comfort to the both of them. "Twi, we can't stay here much longer. If there's anythin crawlin around here, it'll be lookin fer us," Applemont sighed. "Y-You're right," the unicorn blushed, falling back from her armored friend. "Let's get that key." Applemont was far ahead of her though. "Um, well Twi, lookie here. This is a key alright, but it ain't the one we're lookin fer. It's the key to Luna's room." She bend down to the dead Executioner, and yanked a necklace from his throat. The small things shimmered in the torches, shining a deep blue, like that of Luna's mane. It even twinkled like a star. The vampony hunter held the star-shaped thing up to Twilight, who eyed it over carefully, before she slid it into a satchel. She came up to the Executioner's corpse, and gave it a small kick. "Why would he have Luna's bedroom key?" "Ta be honest, it's kinda reasonable. If'n ya think about it, leavin the key in it's original place would be a bad move, seein as it leads to somewhere important. Vamponys'r clever. It's the key to th' key," she explained. Twilight was astonished. "Wow, Applemont, I didn't think you were so... logical," she admitted. After a few seconds, when the pony did not respond, Twilight retracted the comment. "I-I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to offend you!" Applemont began laughing, despite the tension. "Well shucks, I didn't expect you to be as strong as ya are, so we're even," she smiled a genuine smile. To her own surprise, the unicorn chuckled. "I'm kinda flattered," she said, looking up at her friend. "Me too," the pony smiled. "I... I'm glad." Twilight gave her a curt hug, and blushed. They were silent for a moment. "We, uh, ought to get away from this corpse," Applemont said. "We got work ta do." The violet unicorn nodded slowly. "Alright, first things first, we ought to get to Luna's room. Twi, you've been here more than me, unusual as that is. Do ya know of any sorta tunnels, or passageways that can get us to Luna's tower fast and discrete-like?" Twilight thought for a moment. Her conclusion sent a shiver up her spine. "The fastest way up is through the guard barracks." The image from Nightwatch's story flashed through her mind. "Well good, lets get movin," Applemont smiled, stepping over the Executioner, and heading to the hallway from which they had come. "Actually, I, uh," Twilight fumbled around her thoughts more than the corpse. The tough pony shot a confused look as she reached the cellblock's end. "Pardon? Y'all okay, Twilight?" "Um, yeah," she said, shaking her head. Clear thoughts, that's what she needed to get through this. She followed the huntress to the hall, down to the right. "So we caused quite the commotion. You think anything's coming still? Wouldn't it be here already?" The turned another corner, Applemont somehow knowing where to go. "Maybe, but this is always a game. We're just the players," she sighed. The stairs from the dungeon were coming into view. "Vamponies. Ain't nothin like em, I'm afraid." Twilight gulped, and got up next to her friend. The dungeon was about to be left behind for the main part of the castle, and by now she knew all too well that horror was everywhere. "I'm ready when you are," she nodded to Applemont. The orange, silver armored pony nodded back, and gently pressed on the door, cold, damp air rushing in to greet them. It seemed welcoming, as if it beckoned them in. When Applemont looked back at Twilight, their exchanged looks sparked fires of unease in them both. This mutual feeling of acceptance and greeting was sickening in a way, and disturbing in more than one. "Well, I, uh, le's go then," Applemont said, obviously nervous. Twilight nodded, and followed her friend out of the warm dungeon, and into a dark, haze filled hallway. (@,..,@) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBKKYJLF3kA&feature=related The castle was deserted, gone, the only thing in it was the low haze. Of course, there was the array of broken vases, shattered pictures, and the blood.... The blood was the worst. It was on the walls, the carpets, and even the shattered tapestries. The lack of bodies was confusing, and horrifying, but at least they weren't walking around. At least, they weren't walking around the halls. But they weren't in the normal halls anymore. After they had gone from the icy, hazed front hallway, they had taken the side hall to the guard barracks. The stairs in this part of the castle were the fastest route from point a to point b a pony could ask for. Nightwatch's story rang in her mind, though, echoing and cursing at her. Twilight stayed, staring at the archway to the barracks. Two toppled guard statues, one of Celestia's and one of Luna's guards, laid crumbled in the arch, but that was not her obstacle. Nor was it the torn hallway she was actually staring into. It was the fact that most of the guards were slaughtered here. The strong, royal guards who could handle themselves against an ursa at least, were torn to shreds in this part of the castle. "Twi, c'mon now, we ain't got much time left. Whatever vampony is in charge of all this, it's only gettin more and more powerful," Applemont urged her. Twilight just replayed the image over and over, of the mutilated guards. "Applemont, I'm nervous," she confessed. "Oh, Ah know Twilight. I am too. But we have ta do this. Fer-" "For Celestia, I know. Still..." She blushed and looked down to the tattered carpet. "This is the guard's tower. Most of them died here." Applemont hopped back over the statues, and comforted her friend. "Twilight, we handled that other pony. We can take anything, I'm sure. Now, please, c'mon," she pleaded. "I, uh, yeah, alright," Twilight sighed. She had her whip on her back, ready for use, but it didn't do much to comfort her as she stepped over the statue. Her hoof made a ripple in the low haze as she finished getting over, and with lesser hesitation with her friend, she began walking. "I'm here fer ya," Applemont promised, nuzzling up under Twilight's chin. The mare smiled, partly nervous, partly happy. But the gesture was always welcome. Twilight nuzzled her back. "Thank you. It means a lot to me." She smiled as they walked down the first, empty corridor. A little down the hall, with no signs of un-life anywhere, Applemont spoke up. "So you know where y'alls goin, right?" "Well, yes, mostly. I know if we find the chow hall, we can make it from there," Twilight assured. They turned a corner, Twilight almost tripping on a shattered vase. "Th' chow hall, eh? Yep, I think I can get there. Ah was invited to eat there one time, some nice fella named Daylight," she remarked. The unicorn's stomach knotted. "D-Daylight?" she stuttered. Applemont nodded. "Yup. Really nice fella, I swear." Twilight gulped, and changed the topic. "So tell me about vamponies," she said nervously. Of course she had read about them, but this was an actually vampony hunter. A rare chance, not to be missed. "Well, lemme start off with sayin that garlic is a buncha cow crap," she said, suddenly bright and excited. Twilight could tell she was trying to play it cool, though; this was something she didn't get to do often. As they reared a left, passing by a closed door, she continued, "So are stakes. Ya wanna know how to kill a vampony? A blessed blade, enchanted by Celestia. Only way." She waved her hoof in the air. "These here Celestia blades are just that, actually. Blessed by her, herself." The passed more doors, each with names and ranks on them. These were the officers sleeping quarters, she knew. There was Sergeant Stronghoof, Colonel Brighthammer, and even Major Uproar. These were some prominent members of the guard. She could remember being a filly in this part of the castle, how every one of the guards looked up to these ponies. She reveled in the memories. "An' when ya try to talk sense to one, they just sputter random things," Applemont continued. Twilight had not noticed that she was still talking. "So they aren't very right in the head?" she asked, trying to make it seem like she was paying attention. "Naw, they're right. They're just demented," she snarled in her helmet. Along the way, she kicked a shred of the tattered rug. "I swear though, holding a conversation with one of 'em is the hardest thing I've ever done." She chuckled now. "I see. I've read about their speech patterns before. In fiction, of course, but-" "Twi," the vampony hunter cut her off, "Most of that fiction ya read, ain't fiction at all." The unicorn gulped, and looked away. "So, um, do ya know where the chow hall is from here? Ah'm a bit lost maself," she smiled, trying to lighten the mood. "Well I remember, a long time ago, when Celestia took me here," Twilight began, lost in thought. The castle was in a state she had not thought possible, and her memories were lost in this new scene of old. "These are the officers quarters, which means the enlisted bunks are a level up in the tower. Then, a level above that, there's the chowhall, and the bridge that connects this tower to the two regal ones. If I remember correctly, that is." Applemont smiled. "So you remember where the stairs are, I reckon?" "Um... yes! They should be right around this corner," she nodded. Her pace picked up, opposite from her reluctance earlier, and she trotted quickly around the bend. The armored pony followed contently, and was not surprised to find how right her friend was. "Yep, see! Right there," Twilight smiled proudly. In front of her, a door stood cracked. The golden label on it read 'stairs', to their delight. Pounding through the haze, they both went to the door, and nudged it open. "Ah'll lead," Applemont puffed her chest out. She took the front, carefully stepping up the stairs. The only light in the small spiral was that of the moon, which shone in from tiny windows that followed the stairs. One by one, and almost tripping plenty of times, the two ponies worked their way up the stairs, and to the door that led to the barracks. "Um, Twi, why do the stairs end here? I thought they went all th' way up." "They don't. They stop here, and then we have to get through the barrack to get to the other," Twilight explained. "Are ya sure? C'mon, is there another way around? I have a very bad feelin about this place," She choked. "There's the long way, but then we'd have to go through the royal courts, and-" "No, nevermind. We'll go this way," Applemont stammered. "Just get yer whip ready." Twilight nodded, and reared her whip with her magic. "Why are the courts a big deal, though?" she asked. "Princess Celestia told us never ta go through the courts in an emergency. She was very, very clear," The armored pony said. "Now when Ah open this here door, we're gonna run in, and take whatever's in there by surprise, got it?" Twilight nodded, and stretched out her whip. Applemont sighed, and mouthed a countdown. Three...Two...One. She kicked the door open, and darted into the room. Twilight followed, ready to attack. The two blushed, and looked out into the empty rows of bunk beds. "Well, this was interesting," Twilight remarked. That somehow got attention though. A pony - a guard from the looks of his bloody armor - peered over one of the bunks. His mouth was bloody, and his skin was falling off. It was truly disgusting, and the moonlight that shone in through the huge side windows made it much more so. "Ew, what is that thing?" Twilight asked. Applemont looked very serious. "That there's a ghoul, Twilight. Come from the dead to eat corpses, I think," she sighed. "It's only one, though, so we're fine." As if on cue, another popped its head up, bloody and disgusting as the other. Then another behind him looked over a bed. Soon, there was a huge mass of ghouls staring at them. "Twilight," Applemont whispered. "Run." And run she did. The two ponies darted down an aisle of bunks, the demented creatures giving them twisted, blood drenched looks. Their path was stopped when one jumped out in front of them. His skin was blue, his armor was falling apart, and the blood on his face was horrendous. Twilight felt the urge to puke hit her with full force once again. This thing was bloody, and crawling towards her with an awful look in his eye. It was just terrible. The worst part, though, was the moan it let out. It was long, dreadful, something only the dead could produce. Without instruction, Twilight lashed the whip across the thing. It connected across the things face, knocking it to the left. It got up without problem though, and began coming at her again. She snapped the whip again, and now, the ghoul fell to the floor, gone. Looking over her shoulder, she saw that Applemont was having problems. The ghouls were piling up on her, and she was only one pony. So, in the dark moonlight, Twilight brought the whip up, and cracked it across any ghoul she saw and could reach. It was a lash fest, cracking sounds echoing throughout the room. Ghoul after bloody ghoul fell, but they just kept on coming. It was madness. "We need to go!" Twilight cried to Applemont. Frantic, the pony shouted back, "Ah agree! Let's get movin, you take lead!" They nodded to each other, and Twilight turned around. But she was faced with another bleeding, decomposing ghoul. With her magic, she snapped the whip across his face, and back again. He was tossed to the side a bloody mess. Now, as far as she could see, it was clear. "Let's go!" she called behind her, galloping down the aisle. The cracking behind her stopped, and the trotting began. The moans of the ghouls owned the night air now as they fled to a door at the opposite of the room. "Stairs are right there!" Twilight shouted. With her magic, she bust the door open, clearing the way for the two of them. Quickly, the fled into the dark staircase, tripping on the first stair, but managing to stay on their hooves. Twilight first, they dashed up the spiral, the moonlight their guide again. At the top, there was no conversation this time. They burst through the door, toppling out ungraciously. Behind them, Applemont slammed the door shut, locking the bolt on the top. "That ain't holdin em for long, ya know." "I know," Twilight agreed. "But for now, we need to get to Luna's tower. The chow hall is just down this hallway, here to the left." The purple mare galloped down the split hallway, left here. An arch on their right was exactly what she was looking for. Making sure that Applemont was following, she curved into this new hallway, and charged down a ways. "Right... here," she said, coming to a complete halt almost instantly. Before she even saw the inside of the chow hall, she wanted her stomach to be ready. Applemont did not know, however, and trotted past her, into the chow hall. For such a strong pony, she seemed sick almost immediately. The orange pony backed away slowly, carefully, eyes wider than Twilight had seen them before. Scared, but with the confidence to suffer with her friend, Twilight stepped out of the shadowy hall, and into the doorway to the chowhall. She was completely taken aback by the horrible sight. There was blood splattered across the tables, the walls were completely painted red. Much of the furniture had been turned into what looked to be a barricade. That being the central point of the blood stain, the barricade had obviously not worked. And in the awful scene, a fire from the kitchen illuminated it all. "I-I can't believe it..." She mumbled. Applemont had turned away now. "Ah can. Vamponies are merciless creatures. This is very believable..." She shuddered. "But it's still awful. C'mon, Twi. The guards did their best, now it's up to us to finish it." The unicorn stared at the scene for a few more moments, unable to even begin to comprehend it. When that private had said they were getting ripped apart, she was being very literal. Now, Twilight's fate came into question. What had she gotten herself into? Shaking her head of the thoughts, she turned to Applemont. "Right... Let's g-go." They began down the hallway, Twilight almost tripping on the shattered vase that Nightwatch described. "The bridge is here," she said, turning right down a square hallway. Her voice was grim now, reasonably so. Anypony who saw that sort of thing would probably be the same. Down the square hall, the windows that were opposite each other let in pale moonlight that bounced off the haze, and lit the place up fairly well. The walls were bright and pale, the blue tapestry torn, the moons and suns now in shredded pieces on the torn carpeting. "So that there's the princess's door?" Applemont nodded to the door in their fore. Twilight shook her head as they approached. "No, her door is up there," she said, opening the door to reveal a flight of stairs. Applemont rejected the sight of more stairs. "How many stairs does this place have?" she sighed, heading up. Twilight followed, and forced a chuckle to try and lighten the mood. The stairs here were few, and they soon reached the top of them. Luna's door was heavy and golden, with a small star indent in the center. On one side, there was a moon. On the other, the C with the fangs stood alone. "Somethin ya didn't know," Applemont said, pulling out the little star key, "Is that Luna was originally the overseer of all this." She slipped the little trinket into the socket, making a perfect fit. The crack between the two sides glowed a bright blue, and died away second later. Applemont pushed on the door, and it easily swung open. "She was quite the leader, Bellmont claims." As the doors opened, and the word ceased, the two ponies entered the freezing room. "This place is wrecked," Twilight said, kicking a book in front of her. The bookshelves were on the floor, the tables overturned, and even her bed was scrambled. But, there was a little chest, untouched by the chaos. It was sitting alone at the foot of Luna's huge, starry bed. "This is it," The vampony hunter sighed. "Right here, in this tiny chest. Yer guess is as good as mine as to if we're right, but here's hoping." With her foreleg, she kicked the chest open, and a tiny light flickered a deep blue. Twilight stared into the chest as she came near, the blue velvet obviously artisan crafted. But that was not the focus; in the center, laid a very small golden key, no bigger the size of a mare's tongue. Eagerly, Applemont picked it up, and tossed it in her saddle pack. "Well, everythin seems ta be goin fine. Now, we just need ta get to the main hall, get that armor, and fix this mess. Easy enough," she smiled in relief. "Well then let's go!" Twilight said, just as much relieved as her friend. "Back to the tower?" "Oh hay no! You're buckin mad. Skeleton's are one thing. A crowd a' ghouls, now that's different. What's the other way out, again?" she asked. Twilight thought in silence for a moment. "Ah, yes. The only other way out is through the Canterlot Courts." "Oh nelly," Applemont gulped. "Ya sure there's no other way?" Twilight just nodded. Silence filled the wrecked room once more, yet only for a second. "Then... Then, let's get movin, I s'pose," she sighed in fear. As Applemont left, Twilight took a moment to have another good look at the room. In the silence of her mind, she prayed that Celestia had not befallen the same fate. (~,..,^) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuyFitLW2g0&feature=related Here it was, the entrance to the Royal courts. The huge blue and white doors had been knocked to the tile, laying strewn and shattered under the arches. Inside, the mist, heavy and low, crept across the dark floor. High windows that stood under the painted ceiling, letting in the soft moonlight intrude on the otherwise empty court. Below the windows, yet still high above, were the two large rafters. They ran down the opposite sides of the court, much like a tuning fork, meeting at the royal landing overhead. Everything in here was in keen condition they noticed as they walked in. But for the normality here, something was wrong. Silence breathed in this place. It anticipated the next move faster than either pony as they entered the main floor. In this large, empty space, where nothing but the mist reigned, both ponies sauntered in, well aware of this. Stubborn to herself mainly, Twilight whispered, "Why'd the Princess tell you not to come through here? It's empty." "Ah ain't sure, but the Princess knows... er, knew vamponies better than us, so we trusted her. And Ah still do," Applemont gulped. Each step she took reverberated a little clack through the place. That armor of hers was a mixed blessing. "I'm just saying... I don't doubt the Princess either, but maybe she didn't expect an emergency like this," Twilight suggested. A voice on the royal landing behind them called out. "Do not move!" They both jumped, Twilight's heart reaching a bursting point. Turning quickly, she faced the oddly familiar voice. There, atop the landing, was Prince Blulucard. "Blulucard?" Applemont called up to him. "Are y'all behind all this?" "How dare you make such an assumption!" he sneered. When he turned away, his upper lip curved, revealing a horrible sight to Twilight. "If I recall, you're the vampony hunter." "He's a vampony?!" she exclaimed to Applemont. The pony nodded. "He is. Reason Princess let's him stay is cuz he can talk to them more reasonably," she explained. She then turned her attention back to the vampony on the landing above. "Well if you ain't, who is?" He scoffed. "You are a fool. How can you not know by now?" his acid words spat. "Well we haven't run into the vampony yet, so..." "Stay there," he snorted rudely. His horn charged a dim blue, and he quickly disappeared in a small flash of light, only to reappear a second later on the same level as the others. "So then it really is..." Applemont trailed off, looking away from the oncoming royalty. He sighed, and got directly in front of her. "Of course it is," he maintained his posture as he spoke. "How do you think Canterlot could be overtaken, hm?" "Ah just didn't want to think that it actually happened. Tell meh, Blulucard-" The stuck up pony cut her off. "It's, Prince Blulucard, thank you very much." Now Twilight remembered who this pony was exactly. Rarity had plenty of fussing to do after the Gala. "Prince Blulucard," Applemont huffed, "How did it happen?" The 'fancy' pony stopped, and kicked the mist. Rippling waves flowed away from his foreleg. "I can't be sure. I was down in the gardens when it happened. Which, by the way, brings me to a point that I feel you may want to know," he eyed her dramatically. "Being a hunter of my kind and such." Twilight watched in strange awe as the subtle scene unfolded. "Well quit hidin it. Spit it out already," she demanded. He mocked disgust. "Well if your impatient little country brain must know, the garden entrance is the only way to get to the chapels now. The front doors are barred. And I know how your kind is with Celestial Chapels." "Thank ya kindly," Applemont said, a new disposition towards the jerk unfolding. "Indeed." He glinted his fangs at Twilight. "And who is this? Another mont?" Applemont had to turn to follow Blulucard as he traced around her. "She's a friend. Got dragged inta this on no fault of'er own," she said with a hidden warning. "I see," the prince said, quickly regaining his stiffness. "I'll leave you to your worries then. Let me guess, you'll be heading to the hall of relics, yes?" "We are," Applemont confirmed. Normally unsmiling and cold, the Prince chuckled. "Well well then," he snickered, charging his horn. "Watch out for the daylight. I'll see you soon, I suppose." With that, he flashed away. Twilight turned to confront her friend. "So that would explain his attitude," she sighed. "Ah told ya vamponies were hard to talk to," Applemont spat at the spot Blulucard was standing a moment ago. "C'mon, we should get goin. The main hall, if Ah'm right, is out here, down the stairs, an... ah, what the hay. You'll know, Ah'll follow." The unicorn got the hint, and took the lead. "What do you think he meant when he said 'watch out for the daylight'? Because I have a very bad feeling..." "Ah, Twi, don't ya go worryin yourself over nothin. He was just bein a vampony, is all. That's all they ever do, is scare ya," The Vampony Hunter scoffed. Twilight gulped and turned back to her front. Applemont had experience on her side, but Nightwatch's story still panged in her head. If it was the same 'Daylight', then things could get ugly. The guard commanders were notoriously strong. Yet, she resigned to the judgment of her good friend. "If you think so..." "Ah know so Twi. Let's just keep goin, okay?" the question flew up to her. She turned and nodded, a grim look hiding her sick stomach. ^(o,..,o)- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_QtPG_Sbo8&feature=related The key slid perfectly into a tiny hole in the middle of the star. Carefully, Applemont turned the small thing, making but one sole clicking noise. When it would go no further, she darted off the star, to Twilight, who stood at the base of the main stairs. As if by magic - Twilight knew it probably was - the lines that bordered the stars glowed an intense, glossy gold that shone up through the haze. It pierced the mist, and shot all the way to the chandelier on the ceiling. Quite the spectacle ensued. Instead of being a boring, mundane opening, the light refracted from the chandelier, shooting fragmented beams across the room. These beams painted the dark walls with golden C's, each with the fangs under them. A small clinking noise pulled back their attention. Apparently, the key had been sucked into the lock. The main star shifted and groaned, dust plumes shooting up into the haze as sections began to split. At the tip of the star, a small, stair-sized platform sunk. Behind it, another followed, and then another. Soon, the whole star was divided into small platforms, each sinking at their own pace to form a staircase. Both ponies stood, side by side, mouths agape. They stared down the stairs, at a small, inverted triangular door that was embedded in the cobblestone wall. It was a fierce red, with what looked like satin gracing its front. On the center, divided by the two parts of the door, was another clean cut C with the fangs. "W-Well, let's, uh, get down there then," Applemont commented, beginning the movements. Over the small clacking, Twilight said as she followed: "What, um, what's in there?" Applemont shrugged as she decended the stairs. "Hay if I know. We're about to find out, I reckon." She smiled over her shoulder. "I, um, okay," the unicorn blushed and sputtered. Applemont chuckled, and heaved open the door. It was rough; the hinges were obviously in a state of disrepair. It managed to open fully though, and Applemont, first by a feeling of deserving, went through. Twilight followed into the small hallway that was fully revealed now. It was lit by a strange magic that crackled in the torches; blue shining mini stars flickered in strange metal holders on the wall, illuminating the hall with a soft, eerie light. She noticed the doors on either side were no less strange. Each one had a golden plate to its side, bearing a name. There was Fireheart the Brave, The Shadowed Mare, and even one named Ironpony. Yet the most intriguing one, at least to Twilight, was the door with the nameplate of no other than Starswirl the Bearded. The unicorn felt like a filly again. She darted to the door, and pressed up against it. "Applemont!" she squealed, "We should go in here!" Armored did not mean humorous though, and Applemont just sighed and gave her an annoyed look. "I'm sorry Twi, but we don't have time. Maybe when this is all through, y'all can ask the Princess to take ya down here," she secretly scolded. "Now c'mere, this is the door we want." Twilight huffed in extreme dissapointment, but came to her friend without question, knowing that she was right. As she approached, she read the new name: Bellmont. "So this is what we're looking for? Are you sure the armor's in here?" "Without a doubt. It's gotta be," she smiled. The pony gave a harsh push on the door, and it slammed open. As if planned, the armor appeared on a dusty old mannequin in the center of the dull room. "By Celestia, it's amazin..." Twilight peered over her friend's shoulder, and marveled at the sight she saw. The armor shined in one of the dim star torches, the light reflecting off the seemingly new metal. The hoofguards were well crafted caps, with the C on their sides. They linked up with the large leg coverings; these metal platted cylinders bent at the two knees via small cloth links, and each shined it's silvery metal gloss. Rows of the C's ran up the sides of the leggings, all the way up to the underbelly guard. This was a large metal plate, obviously custom made. Here, though, was not a C, but rather, a large encrusted B. The font was that of a very royal script that Twilight had seen scribes use on a rare occasion. This plate linked with the back plate. The unicorn could see soft padding under this, though atop it was a large, artisan crafted crescent moon. At the back, the tail cylinder protruded four or five inches. It resembled that of a bracer; two large round vaults encompassed the end, while the beautifully designed interior showed that of a master steelworker. The head of the mannequin was bequeathed with a helmet of the same craftsmanship. It split on the neck, curving around the ears in a gothic manner. At the eyes, the metal split, caressing the brow and beneath the eye. The metal extended forward, onto the muzzle of the lifeless figure. At the forehead of the helm, a hole for a unicorn's horn was easily visible, but the strange thing about this was the two small curved horns that pointed inward. These horns mirrored each other from the side of the hole, making Twilight's memory snap. She had seen this before; it was a rare technique used in the making of magical armor. The two horns channeled the wearers magic easily, making spells almost ten times easier to cast. It was a hard, labor staking process to get these to function correctly, indicating that - despite the master craftsmanship - that this was forged by a true metal working god. As she entered the room, she noticed the same horns atop Applemont's head. Now she understood what made her armor so special - it was magically inscribed. Twilight was astonished to say the least, yet somewhat proud that her thick-skulled, lovable earth pony friend was finally respecting the ways of her art. She giggled. "Uh, y'all okay Twi?" Applemont asked, looking over her shoulder. The unicorn nodded with a sheepish smile, and began to explore the rest of the room. In the various cases were items such as Bellmont's whip, her knife, and even a Celestia figurine that matched Applemont's. "Y'all mind poppin those things open fer me?" Applemont asked as she kicked off her leg wrappings. "I'm gonna slip this here armor on, and then we can finish this all up fer good." "Uh, alright," she complied. At the Celestia figurine, she popped an ancient latch. It made a strange grinding noise as it clacked open. The glass in the front was spring loaded, catching Twilight by surprise as it snapped open, lashing her snout. Grumbling, she grabbed the figure with one hoof and rubbed her nose with the other. Applemont chuckled. "It's not funny," she mumbled, getting onto the next one. Behind her, Applemont was almost out of her armor, the last thing being the tail piece. Twilight was about to mock her for a change, but the chance was cut short. "Y-You're not the Princess..." a gruff voice came from the doorway. "What the hay?" Applemont said, turning to see who had made the obvious comment. Both her and Twilight found themselves looking at a golden clad guard. But this one was different than the ghouls in the tower. He seemed... sentient. Unstable, but sentient. His armor was blood splattered, the red liquid dripping freely from it. "Oh my, are you alright?" Twilight asked, stepping forward. His head twitched to meet her gaze. His pupils were... dilated horribly, and his eyes were bloodshot. "That means, girls," he smiled, "That you're in a restricted area. And that won't do." "Um, sir, are you Daylight perhaps?" Twilight nervously threw out there. "Why yes I am little missy. And did you know this other fact? This is a restricted zone..." his voice trailed off to a grinding groan "So I'm afraid you'll have to die." Applemont sighed. "This ought ta be easy. You aint undead," she scoffed. Picking her whip up from the ground, she brought it back, and lashed it across his face, then back again. To her surprise, he did not even stumble. The guard commander twitched his head back around, and met with Applemont. "Lethal force was authorized," he let loose a demented chuckle. From his side, he pulled a short sword out with his teeth. Quickly, he stormed at Applemont and brought it down upon her. The orange mare dodged, but just barely. Fast as the whip, Twilight took up her own arms and lashed the guard. "I knew it! You know Nightwatch!" she called out to him for any hope of sanity left. Daylight looked over his shoulder, and smiled. "Nightwatch?" was all he muttered. Without further hesitation, he turned and charged at his new target. The sword fell upon her, missing and striking the floor below. Twilight cracked the whip on him again to buy some time for Applemont to jump in. When she could, Applemont lashed out at him, gashing a wound down his left cheek. His helmet flew off, landing in the corner with a thud. That was when Twilight knew to give up hope. Part of his skull was gone, with a pink mush throbbing out from it. "That's his weak spot!" Applemont called to Twilight. "We need ta get him outta here, and then we can take'im down!" The unicorn nodded as the sword barely missed her again. With another snap of the whip, she cracked him across his snout. He held tightly to his sword though, swinging it at her sharply. She had to duck left to dodge it. Applemont snapped her whip across his flank, stealing his attention to Twilight's fortune; she had been cornered. Daylight snapped right, and charged at her, lunging his sword straight for her heart. In a clever maneuver, Applemont, now unarmored at the unfortunate time, used his enraged charge to crack her whip at his sword, knocking it, and a few of his teeth, from his mouth. The items fell to the floor in a blood drenched heap. He screamed out to her. "By Celestia you shall not escape punishment!" He reared onto his hind legs, kicking the air in a display of power. Applemont took the chance to escape the room, Twilight soon following. They ran down the short hall, and up the dusted stairs. "Twi, he ain't got his sword. Ah told ya this was gonna be easy!" But the panting made it evident that she was completely bluffing. "Here he is," Twilight pointed down the hall at the furious guard who was storming towards them. A glinting metal from beside her caught her attention. "Take this Twi. Drop the whip, and take it," Applemont frantically handed her a dagger. Twilight did not have time to question, so instead, just did. She took the blade with her mouth, and got in a defending stance. Daylight burst up the stairs, headbutting Twilight. He carried her to the stairs behind her, and tossed her up the flight easily. That was no normal headbutt; it was physically impossible to have that much force to any sort of head related attack. Twilight brushed the brains off her, gagging, and stood back up. Applemont was busy fighting Daylight hoof to hoof, her whip strewn across the ground in front of her. The orange pony beat Daylight on his bloody face, and Daylight uppercut Applemont straight in the gut. The pony recoiled a bit, seeming to have trouble holding down the contents of the hit area. Twilight quickly picked up the dagger from the ground, and charged in. She tackled Daylight to the ground, almost tumbling down the set of star-shaped stairs. The unicorn jabbed at his throat in an attempt to end him there, but missed each time. The powerful guard gave her a hard punch to her face, sending her tumbling across the floor. Daylight stood and ran for Applemont again, who was already coming for him. They locked hooves, Applemont taking the first blow. The guard used a free hoof to slam into her chest, knocking the wind from the pony. But she was tough, and resisted with a roundhouse kick that broke their engagement. She fell back to all four hooves, and barreled at him. But he bucked her back, sending her falling into the star stair's hole. He flung himself into it, and onto her. Twilight, back on her hooves, took up the dagger and was ready to strike back. From the hole, however, a strained Applemont yelled out, "Twilight! Cut...the chandelier!" "Are you crazy?!" she yelled back. "You'll get crushed!" "Ah'll...be fine...just...do it!" she ordered. "Deep breaths, Twilight, Deep breaths!" she panicked to herself. Applemont knew what she was doing. She needed to trust her. No! The chandelier could kill her! But, she was strong. She knew what she was doing.... Resolute, if very unwilling, Twilight used her magic to levitate the blade up to the chandelier. She brought it back, and gave the thick rope a large gash. Then, she swiped at it again, and then again. Soon, the supports creaked, and the heavy glass chandelier fell into the hole. All sounds of combat stopped. Sick to her very core, Twilight peered over the edge. Slight relief was brought to her as she saw her friend laying on the stairs, mangled with glass and blood, yet better off than Daylight. The guard had been taken by the glass chandelier, and now he and the bloody thing were silently strung out at the entrance to the hallway. Carefully, Twilight leapt into the hole, and got beside Applemont. Glass shards were everywhere, her skin included. "Alright, Applemont, hang on, we're getting you outta here." "Twi, you are one crazy pony, y'all know that..." the bloody mare coughed. "No, you hush," She told her friend, almost on the verge of tears. Applemont had obviously seen this, and sighed that long, probably patented sigh. "I ain't gonna die," She told Twilight. "At least, not right now." "You better not," she forced a worried, sad chuckle that mangled with a soft whimper. "I just wanna say, Twi..." she coughed hard. "Y'all's pretty cute when yer scared." Twilight chuckled again and blushed now. "C'mon ya silly mare, let's get you out of here before you lose any more blood and start spewing out weirder things." As the unicorn helped Applemont onto her back, the pair shared silent grins.