//------------------------------// // As My Feet Stumble // Story: Our Voices Carry Through The Hills // by Surry //------------------------------// As My Feet Stumble The prior night had been unkind to Twilight, as getting any sleep was now completely out of the question. Each time she would close her eyes, it seemed as though some unseen force would eerily pry them open again. She got in a quick few snoozes here and there, but after taking her fall into the lake and having her headaches temporarily subside, her body simply wouldn't allow her to rest. Rainbow Dash's concern for Twilight didn't allow her to fare much better, though she was able to recuperate much more than her friend had. They tried to rest underneath a tall evergreen tree which had so graciously let a bed of soft pine needles blanket the forest floor below, though the pegasus spent most of the early morning hours watching her friend violently stir every time she was about to go under. She would offer Twilight a hug now and then to comfort her, but nothing at this point seemed to help her. The early morning sun let its first glorious rays of orange light peek over a distant mountain, encasing the expansive lake and their tree in its warmth. Twilight, realizing this was a hopeless battle, simply quit on sleep and painfully got up. I just can't do it. No matter what I do, I just can't keep my eyes shut. She stood up weakly and glanced back to Rainbow, who was caught up in a light snooze. Apparently, she hadn't gotten much rest either. I guess I'll just let her sleep for now. She deserves it anyway. Twilight calmly walked back towards the lake and took in it's divine serenity. She tried to remember exactly which way Rainbow Dash had come from, as she had only caught a glimpse of her before she plummeted. I hope that's the right direction, because if I'm wrong... then we might be wandering through this forest forever. "Hey Twilight, get any shut eye?" What?! I thought she would still be sleeping! She turned succinctly to Rainbow who was rubbing one of her own dreary eyes open. The pegasus yawned lengthily and took her place beside Twilight. Her friend only briefly shook her head in response, turning back to gaze out gloomily over the lake before them. "Sorry to hear that," Rainbow replied glumly, "So, we never really talked about it, but do you have a plan?" A plan? I'm not too sure about that. However, now that I have at least you on my side Rainbow, I might still have a shot at proving my innocence. I suppose we just have to go to Canterlot and get this mess sorted out. Twilight nodded fervently and pointed to Rainbow's lips with one hoof. "You want me to tell them for you?" she guessed. Yes, Rainbow. I'm not exactly in the best position to be making a case as you can see, so I need you to do it for me. "Well I hate to break it to you Twilight, but... I can't exactly fly." The unicorn silently mouthed the word in utter disbelief. 'WHAT?!' "I know, I know. This looks pretty bad, but it's okay, I'll deal with it. We can go all the way back together, really I'm fine with that," she assured her. Twilight's heart painfully melted at her finally divulging the truth. She scooted over to her friend and laid her head down solemnly upon Rainbow's shoulder, trying to hold back the floodgates. Oh Rainbow... I see why you were so upset now. I know how hard it was seeing Ponyville like that, but I also know how big a part of you flying is, and I've seen how you deal with it when you can't. But, how can you remain so calm without your wings? Are you just acting this way because of me? Rainbow gently reached her leg up and stroked Twilight's disheveled mane. "Hey, like I said before, it's okay." The unicorn calmly picked her head up in response and started walking along the shoreline. She gave her friend a slight nod in passing, signaling for her to follow. Rainbow perked up at her gesture and began to follow. "Hey wait a second, where are we going?" she asked. Twilight pointed to the direction where she believed she saw Rainbow come from, some path off into the woods. However, to go that way they would first have to walk around the entirety of the lake. "Is that the way back to Ponyville?" she said catching up to her. Twilight shrugged. I don't know, but it's our best shot. "Well, I think I trust you more than I trust myself right now. So wherever you go, I'll go," her friend happily commented. The unicorn gave her another warm smile, when suddenly both of their stomachs started vehemently growling. It struck them at that moment that neither had eaten anything for almost an entire day, for it was impossible with all the commotion going on. "Maybe... we should get something to eat on our way," Rainbow added. Twilight continued to press on and guide her friend. For reason's unknown, her body seemed to be functioning more effectively today, though she was still somewhat fatigued from her lack of rest. It wasn't nearly as painful for her to walk, and for that at least she was grateful. I couldn't agree more. There's just got to be something in these woods. "How much further is it?" Twilight's voice hissed. The master copy glanced back at her clone with a piercing glare. "Silence! You should already know anyway! Regardless... we couldn't attack now, even if we wanted to. If what I've anticipated comes to fruition, then Celestia will already have the city sealed off by the time we arrive." The Everfree forest proved to be no match for the soon to be conqueror. With four of her clones trailing close behind her, each possessing equally unstoppable might, there was nothing that could impede their progress. In fact, some of the most terrifying creatures that usually plagued the forest simply bowed out of their way as they continued. "So," said one clone, "...if the Princess has the city sealed off, like you planned, then how exactly do you plan on getting in? That is not something you ever kept us informed about." "Hahahahaha..." She cackled. "I'm glad you asked. By myself, I would have never been able to enter the city's walls. But luckily, we all know Canterlot like the backs of our hooves." "You have yet to explain your intentions," one of the other clones stated bluntly. "It's quite simple, really," she retorted with a smirk, "With all of the others sent away, rampaging in the streets of nearby cities, the Princess will have no choice but to lower her defenses to let her precious royal guard go on their merry way and defend against my onslaught! It's perfect!!" She boasted. "Funny, I think that's probably the same plan we all came up with," said the clone bringing up the rear. "Haha," she chuckled, "That is because we are all geniuses! Working together, there is no possible way our combined intellect can fail!" She happily received nods in agreement from all of her companions, save for one. One of her clones did not seem as enthusiastic about the plan, almost as if she was preoccupied thinking about something else. The leader noticed this and pulled up beside her, but her clone simply looked away. "What's the matter?" she asked her copy. Her double merely glanced at her fleetingly, and turned away yet again. "You know this plan won't bring her back, right?" she remarked timidly. Every clone immediately stopped in place, the sound of their hooves deadened. They were all entranced by that one word she had just spoken. Awkwardly, they all turned to her in absolute silence. "We're never to speak of her again!" the leader shouted, "Everything we do!!! Gah, don't you see?! Of course it's all for her!!!" "And not for the other?" her clone asked. "Absolutely not! She was just the key!!" she retaliated. "And what about Twilight Sparkle? What of her? I know our reasons, but... it still seems almost insensitive. I hate her as much as all of you, but still... we're ruining lives here." The clone received angry glares all around from her sisters, but the leader barged in before they could attempt anything hostile. "Wait! What are you saying? Don't tell me you've forgotten already!" she demanded. "No..." she responded meekly, drooping her head in defeat, "No, you're right. Apologies, leader. Let us keep going." The leader smirked at her small victory. "You are forgiven sister. I know where you come from, just being given new life. But I need your trust now more than ever. Celestia and her people must pay for how they treated us. Don't you agree with that?" "Y-yes leader," her copy glumly replied, "It won't happen again. I swear by it." She patted her clone reassuringly on the shoulder, though it offered little comfort. "Excellent! You really are an extension of myself you know. In time you will see things my way even more clearly." Faintly, her double nodded in agreement along with the rest of her sisters. "I suppose I will," she remarked. With her one weak link finally brought to her side, the leader released her and pressed onward. Sunlight trickled down through slight openings in the tree canopy, keeping them all aware of the fact that soon ponies all across Equestria would be awaking to something quite horrible. The density of the forest was diminishing as well, the longer they walked. Their leader often worried about situations like this occurring with her clones. At first, everything seemed to be happening so punctually, but then again, why wouldn't it? She had taken months to plan this. Ever since she lost the one thing she couldn't live without she had been plotting. They had all laughed at her and shunned her when she had pleaded so tearfully to them. But they refused to listen! Nopony in Canterlot cared for her arguments, and Celestia had simply cast her into the wind like common trash. And she did it all for her. She had even told them that... but no one ever listens... not until their very lives are at stake. "Grah!!" she coughed in disgust, but her voice began to rise, "I'll raze every city to the ground! I'll march directly into the capital!!! I WILL MAKE THEM LISTEN TO ME-- AND THIS TIME CELESTIA WILL PAY FOR HER INTOLERANCE!!!!" Her clones performed exactly as instructed, heading off to every major city, settlement, and village across Equestria. With nearly fifty machines of chaos at her disposal, it was now only a matter of time before Canterlot would be inundated with messenger ponies requesting for help. Just as she had hoped, the mirror pool had also given every doppelganger nearly her exact powers and abilities, though she already made the last few modifications herself. They would surely all reach their targets by the afternoon, and Canterlot's defenses would come crumbling down soon afterward. However, she gave one of her clones a very... specific task to attend to. Applejack had been the last to get up that morning, wandering through the barren halls of the castle. It felt so unusual seeing it empty, considering how it was normally teeming with royal guards. Celestia had so graciously offered her and her friends a room the night before, but when she awoke all of them had simply left already. She yawned loudly, "...I can't believe I slept in so late. If ah'd still been on the farm, Big Macintosh would've killed me for sure." However, the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. She had practically dragged Rarity into the castle herself, while Pinkie on the other hand had a similar time dealing with Fluttershy who simply didn't have the strength to make it there herself, at least not in one day anyway. "O' course. Leave it to the earth ponies to do the heavy liftin'," she commented to herself. Finally, she found a guard arbitrarily placed next to a grand staircase. Without hesitation, she approached him. "Ey big guy, you wouldn't have happened to see my friends go by here, now would ya?" she asked. "They did pass by," he said deeply. "...possibly on their way down to the Princess's dining hall. It's right down this staircase, miss." Applejack breezed right on past him, flashing a tiny smile his way, "Thanks, sugarcube." She followed down the long winding staircase until it eventually ended, right at where the guard said it would. The tall double-doors to the expansive hall were left flung wide open as Applejack was able to ever so cautiously peek her head inside. She was elated to see all of her friends sitting around the lengthy dining table, but they all seemed to still be suffering from yesterday. They all had plates of various vegetarian dishes placed in front of them, but not a single bite was taken at all. However, the one thing that she noticed most, and broke her heart at the same time, was that Rainbow Dash was not sitting with them. "Hey. How ya'll feelin' this morning?" she asked lightly. Immediately her friends all turned from their untouched plates and gave her a slight wave to come on over, but they still remained eerily silent. She calmly walked over and found a seat next to Rarity, who seemed relieved to see her. "Hey girl, how you holdin' up?" Applejack put a hoof on her distraught friend's shoulder. "How am I holding up? HOW AM I HOLDING UP?!" she cried. Applejack simply stared back in shock for a moment, but never budged an inch. "Umm... yes?" she replied timidly. Her friend let out a long winded sigh. "Ahh... I'm doing fine actually, now that you're here sweetie. I just wanted to say thank you, for getting us all the way here in one piece, I mean." Applejack smiled at her uplifting words when suddenly Fluttershy, who was sitting directly across from them, spoke up as well. "Oh yes. Thank you, Applejack. We wouldn't have made it here by now, if it wasn't for you that is." She brushed off the comment. "Bah, weren't nothin'. It was a group effort on all our parts anyway. Why, even Pinkie here did some--" Applejack was abruptly cut off by a loud snore, coming from her pink friend sleeping across the table next to Fluttershy. The pegasus rubbed her friend's back trying to coax her awake, but Pinkie was out like a light. "Wait a minute, wasn't she awake just a second ago?" asked Applejack. "Oh, it's been just terrible," said Fluttershy, "She's still so very tired from yesterday. She keeps drifting off, but... she has no control over it." Applejack propped her chin up into her hoof, thinking over their ordeal. "Can't rightly blame her. I've never seen her so stressed out. Kinda' makes me stressed out just looking at her." "Well, I think we're all under a lot of pressure here darling," added Rarity, "As for me, I'm just relieved that Sweetie Belle's is going to be taken care of." Fluttershy took her hoof of Pinkie and turned back to her other friends. "I know that was hard on you Rarity. None of us wanted to see her go with the others." "No it's alright," she lamented, "It was for her own safety. I just hope everypony else who went the other way out of town fared as well as we did." A long silence hung in the air for what seemed like an eternity. None of them wanted to talk about the elephant in the room, but they knew it would have to come up eventually. When it seemed like Applejack was finally going to say something, Pinkie Pie, who had laid her cheek upon the table to rest, muttered what they were all thinking. "What are we going to do about Twilight?" she asked quietly. Applejack responded for all of them. "Uh... I think we're all still trying to figure that part out, sugarcube." Sadly, Pinkie sat herself back up now fully awake. Deeply preoccupied with her thoughts, she leaned her head onto Fluttershy's shoulder, but her friend withheld any protest. "I miss Rainbow... and the old Twilight," she mumbled. "So... you guys haven't seen from her?" Applejack asked. "I am afraid not," said a soothing regal voice. The friends all turned their attention to the main doors. The mare standing before them had just finished her royal duties for the night and had come to warn all of them of her sister's taken precautions. "Princess Luna!" they cried in unison. Wordlessly she strode to the opposite end of the table, taking careful note of their emotional states. Once she was in a well enough position to address them all, she spoke calmly yet freely. "As I'm sure you are all aware of this by now, but I am obligated to inform you that this afternoon, before the sun goes down, my sister herself will erect a barrier around Canterlot. As of this morning, nopony has seen of your friend miss Rainbow Dash and I myself have been unable to locate her through her dreams. I am also sorry to say that if she does not arrive by this evening, she could very well not be granted access to the city until this 'issue' has been resolved." "What?! No!" cried Pinkie. "I regret the decision as well, I assure you all," she continued, "However, if Canterlot falls... Equestria falls." "Wait, you aren't afraid of Twilight, are you?" Rarity asked. "Myself? No, I can't say that I am," the princess replied, "On the contrary, my sister and I fear no unicorn, no matter how powerful they may be. The reason Celestia is constructing the barrier at all is quite simply because the risk to every other citizen in Canterlot is much too great. We have already taken in a heavy influx of refugees as well, not even including yourselves. Furthermore, we sent away half the fleet of our own royal guard early this morning." "W-why did you keep the other half?" Fluttershy murmured. "Should the barrier fail, of course. Although, it is extremely unlikely, and she would still have to contend with our raw might if she did manage to break through," Luna nonchalantly commented. Applejack summoned some courage. "But princess, does this mean we're just giving up on Twilight? What if, say, oh I don't know... she's not really herself. What if she's under a spell or curse or somthin'? Or maybe she's really a changeling? I'm not quite sure myself, but I say we should put all our cards on the table here first if we're gonna be bettin'." "She's right," spoke up Fluttershy, "There's no good reason for Twilight to be doing this. We can't just give up on her." Everyone sat uneasily for a long moment, letting themselves hold onto a faint glimmer of hope for as long as they could. "A spell perhaps," Luna nodded in agreement, "... however, this would be an impossible act for a changeling." "And why is that, princess?" Applejack asked again. "It's simple really, for the changelings feed off of love. It is where they derive the source of their power. For a changeling to be as magically adept enough to destroy an entire city... it just seems out of the question. Their abilities just don't work that way I'm afraid. There is no way even the queen could generate that much power, unless she had a most potent source of love at her beck and call." Applejack lowered her head in disappointment. "So, what you're saying is... is that Twilight had to be the one destroying Ponyville?" "That," Luna confirmed, "Or... another unicorn is playing us all for fools." Pinkie leaned up and caught the attention of the princess. "So how do we know which is which?" Luna smirked at her subject in a playful sort of way. "Well, I was hoping you four could assist me in finding that out." [hr While the forest's environment had been hospitable up to now for Twilight and Rainbow Dash, it turned out that its seemingly lush vegetation offered little in the way of sustenance. On their way towards what they could only guess was Ponyville, they had only been able to find a few berry-plants, some wildflowers, and a few patches of grass here and there. Neither of them were used to such a minimalistic diet, but they were ponies after all, and foraging was what they did best. However, Twilight's restlessness from the prior night was starting to catch up to her, and after walking through dense foliage and hilly terrain for so many miles, she was finally beginning to slow down. With Rainbow tailing close behind to keep an eye on her friend, she could tell that Twilight was having difficulty. She often asked the unicorn simple questions that she could answer, but it was still odd for her not being able to chat while they walked. As Twilight lagged in pace, Rainbow smoothly trotted up beside her and took note of her painful facial expressions. "Do you want to stop and take a break Twilight? It's really okay with me. We have been going at this for hours." Twilight suddenly stopped and began breathing laboriously to the ground beneath her. She picked up her hood and pointed to her throat, slightly licking her chapped lips. Please Rainbow, I'm so thirsty. "Do you... want something to drink?" her friend guessed. She received a pleading nod from the desperate unicorn. "Well, maybe if we go a little further we'll find something. What do you say to that, Twilight?" she asked apprehensively. Twilight meekly looked away again, and reluctantly nodded. Her throat was so dry that it made each breath sting faintly. She wanted nothing more but to sit and rest, but her body would not allow it until she quenched her thirst. Longing for her next drink, she continued on with Rainbow close at her side. The pegasus had never seen such determination in the face of overwhelming adversity, not since within herself anyway. But, where she had always tried to impress and make sure everyone knew her name, Twilight merely wanted everyone to not fear hers. Rainbow was now sure of it, that this was the definition of true courage. She might not have understood why Twilight had trouble sleeping or nearly drowned herself in the lake, but she wanted to be by Twilight's side almost constantly now. "Hey Twilight, I just wanted let you know that... I think you're really brave." She simply blushed at the comment and glanced over, smiling calmly into her friend's cool magenta eyes. That means a lot coming from you, Rainbow. I just hope my bravery holds out as long as I need it to. Feeling this strange gravitation between them, their quiet steps in the foliage grew closer and closer, until they were nearly supporting themselves against one another. Rainbow Dash wasn't quite sure why, maybe it was because Twilight was tired, or maybe it was because she was just happy to be with her, but Twilight gently leaned her head into her friend's neck and inhaled deeply the scent of of her rainbow-colored mane. It didn't mean as much to Rainbow when they embraced the night before, back when they were cold and Twilight felt so helpless. It was simply more of a friendly gesture to keep her friend comfortable. However, now that they had found solace in each other's company and it was no longer about whether or not they would make it through the night, she realized that this simple act was her friend's subtle way of showing genuine affection for her... and she happily accepted it. Rainbow chuckled under her breath. "Heh... I'm glad you're with me too." They strolled deeper into the woods, passing by multitudes of trees and moss covered hills. Twilight felt as though she could almost fall asleep now right against Rainbow's side, but they had to keep going. At least for a moment, she was able to ease her mind with Rainbow guiding the way for the both of them. I wish I could thank you, Rainbow. Even only once might be good enough. I'd have more to say than just that, but I think you know it already. "Hey Twilight, do you hear that?" her friend asked quietly. The unicorn's ear perked up slightly from Rainbow's side, listening intently. After a second or two, a light crashing sound could be heard far up ahead of them. That's weird. It almost sounds like the waterfall from last night, but it couldn't be. We went in the completely opposite direction. Twilight suddenly felt her friend stop and begin to look around for something. She could sense that something caught her eye when Rainbow finally spoke. "T-twilight!" she stammered, "It's a pool... a-and a waterfall!" The unicorn lazily rose from her friend's side and took in a brief glimpse the sight, but could not believe her eyes. No way! This is too good to be true! "C'mon, lets go get a drink Twi-" Before she could even finish speaking, the unicorn was already stumbling weakly away from her towards the glorious sight before both of them. Rainbow easily caught up to her, but Twilight didn't seem to need any assistance so she opted to only stay within close proximity. They peaked over a small tree-lined hill and came to the spacious clearing. The waterfall itself was not very tall, only about three stories in height, but it emptied directly into an expansive deep indigo colored pool surrounded on all sides by massive boulders and mossy stones. Some smaller streams snaked away from the oasis in a web-like pattern, forcing the ponies to watch their step as they approached. When Twilight finally reached the edge of the water, she nearly collapsed onto her front legs and gratefully took her first few sips of the delightfully soothing liquid. It's coolness slowly eased away the pain in her throat and gradually removed the dryness and heat within her chest as well. She pulled away for a second and noticed Rainbow standing upon the rocks next to her, taking a few hearty gulps from the running body of water herself. Her friend had done a fairly decent job up until this point of hiding her own thirst and still tried to maintain a semblance of composure. Twilight was beginning to cheer up now that her one desire had been fulfilled. She arose and backed away silently, letting Rainbow quickly fill in the empty spot. With both of them being exhausted and emotionally worn out, Twilight swiftly thought up of a great idea to lift their spirits, and also help them relax at the same time. I have her right where I want her. I'm gonna do it! NOW! Rainbow's entire body suddenly jerked forward when something heavy collided into the back of her. She fought against it, nearly taking a dive into the drink, but her legs held firm. Seizing her opportunity, Twilight gave up on pushing Rainbow and simply pulled her front leg out from under her. The unicorn then let her own frame fall freely backwards into the drink while tugging along her friend in as well. "W-wait Twilight!! What're you do--!" SPLASH! The pair plunged into the refreshing dark water and promptly bounced off of the rocky floor below. The pool itself was only barely deep enough to where they could comfortably keep their heads out of water without struggling. Rainbow surfaced first, taking in an exasperated gulp of air. She twisted around her body in agitation, desperately searching around for the unicorn who had so recklessly pulled her in. "Twilight?! Where are you?! You're gonna pay for getting me all soaked when I get my hooves on you!!" Then, to her annoyance, another heavy wave of water crashed over her head from behind. She angrily churned through the water and came face to face with the smiling unicorn. Rainbow was about to yell at her, but this was the first time she had seen her smile since the beginning of their ordeal. "Aww... come on! Don't give me that look!" she ordered. Twilight hesitantly splashed her again, but this time more playfully. They locked eyes fervently as Rainbow anticipated another splash, however the unicorn gave up and started to slowly swim away towards the crashing waterfall behind her. This only irritated her even more. "Hey! Just where do you think you're going?!" she yelled. Twilight turned for a moment and rolled her eyes at Rainbow. She continued to tread through the water when she finally felt a wave of water crash over her own head. She caught a slight glimpse of Rainbow swimming over to her, ready to pounce. Rainbow's right cheek curled deviously into a half-smile. "Two can play at that game! And I never lose!" Twilight backed away from her with a competitive smirk of her own, until she abruptly reached the foamy basin of the waterfall. Let's see if you can catch me first! She deliberately hopped backwards, hurtling through the crashing wall of water and disappearing out of Rainbow's field of view. The pegasus hurriedly tussled through the deep blue water to reach her, and surged through the powerful waterfall as well. She tumbled once end over end and dizzily emerged on the other side. It was much darker on this face of the waterfall, though some ambient sunlight made it's way through the vacillating torrents. There was a small egg-shaped space up underneath the platform of the falls, almost like a little hideaway from prying eyes. The outcropping was composed entirely of rock and lied just above the water line, allowing its floor to remain relatively dry. However, as Rainbow peered around the cave-like area, Twilight was nowhere to be found. "Where did she go?" she asked suspiciously. Splash! Yet another blast of water graze over the side of Rainbow's face. She shook her head violently, shaking every last drop out of her now disheveled mane, and retaliated with a splash of her own. The unicorn scarcely ducked out of the way of the first volley, but Rainbow quickly followed up with another. The concentrated stream of water glanced over her cheek as she continued to tread away, but the pegasus rapidly caught up and tackled her into the drink. They tumbled through the water, happily play-fighting and wrestling in a somewhat reserved manner, until Twilight accidentally swallowed a tiny gulp of water which haphazardly funneled into her windpipe. "KAAH! KAAH!" she barked weakly. As Rainbow lunged over her yet again, she put her hoof out to stop their playing and began vigorously coughing. She awkwardly leaned herself over onto the dark rocky surface of the outcropping and attempted to sit up, hacking the liquid out of her system and wheezing for air. "Oh no... not this again," Rainbow muttered in concern. She hopped out of the water and placed herself at her friend's side, gently stroking her back. Twilight would let out a timid cough now and again, but it kept up for several minutes. Rainbow offered her a few words of encouragement and she would smile at her between heavy breaths. After wiping away the last little bit of water from her mouth, her coughing fit finally ran its course and she calmly laid down onto her side. She had been quite exhausted before they even found this little oasis, but maybe it was getting that long awaited drink of water that made her want to break out and have some fun. She didn't regret their little skirmish in the slightest. It was the perfect thing to help her take her mind away from the bigger problem, though she knew it would have to be addressed sooner or later. Rainbow leaned over close to Twilight's head. With a serene smile gracing her lips, she could tell that the unicorn was trying to fall asleep... when suddenly her stomach started growling again. Twilight placed a hoof on her stomach trying to deaden the sound, but it became immediately apparent to Rainbow that they would both need something to eat soon. She stepped away from her friend and headed back to the waterfall. "I'll be right back Twilight. I'm gonna go find more food." Twilight's eyes shot open and she desperately reached out for her, however as Rainbow sunk into the smaller pool before them she did not notice her friend's silent pleas. No Rainbow! You don't have to go! Just stay here! PLEASE!!! But it was useless. Rainbow dove through the crashing waterfall and out of sight. In frustration, Twilight made one attempt in vain to get up, but her body screamed at her to stop and rest her sore muscles. She fought against it temporarily as she knew trying to fall asleep would be pointless, but everything within her forced her to close her eyes. Just... please be okay Rainbow. Don't be away for too long. I don't know what I would do if something were to happen to you, especially if it was because you were trying to do something for me. A tear welled up at the corner of her eye. I don't need food... as much as I need you right now. "Any sign of him?" "No your highness. He has not returned yet," the guard reluctantly divulged. Celestia looked away from her window as a cold shiver ran down her spine. Her personal quarters were a bit of a mess, but she decided that it would need to be cleaned later. While she didn't exactly need to study anything, she thought it might help to get in a bit of extra practice before casting the full-scale barrier. It had only crossed her mind once that Shining Armor would not return. She had complete confidence in him, despite his somewhat reckless behavior. She released a long abated sigh and slowly made her way out of her royal bedroom. The guard who had delivered the news shut the door for her and dutifully followed. Admittedly, Celestia didn't feel like speaking to anyone right now, for she felt almost guilty herself for what was transpiring. Never before had one of her students so blatantly turned against her since Sunset Shimmer... but this was much worse than that. There was no valid reason for Twilight to turn on her like this. "Alright," she spoke to the guard, "Tell the rest of your men to take their positions and clear the perimeter of the city. I was afraid I'd have to go through with this, but I find myself left with no other option." "And of the refugees on the outskirts?" he asked. She raised a courteous eyebrow. "Like I said, clear the perimeter. Make sure no pegasus, guard nor civilian, is left outside. I will give you half an hour to prepare, lieutenant, but I can't spare any more time than that. Make haste, please." "Of course, your highness. It will be done right away," he confirmed. Without another word between them, the guard turned to the main staircase and hurriedly descended to go about his appointed task. Now left to her own devices, Celestia wandered a bit further down the grand hall, passing by various tall stained-glass windows all depicting historical events throughout Equestria's past. "This is just absurd, outrageous, impossible!" she angrily blurted to herself. She stopped when she came to one particular window and glanced up at it's entirety. She was now faced with the elements of harmony and the ones depicted as bearing them, all placed within their own circles around the enchanted stones. However, it was the lavender unicorn at the apex that she paid special attention to. "But, I don't see how else I'm supposed to handle this. It has to be some kind of mistake, surely, but still... I might only be able to know for sure when I see her myself." She turned away from the window in sorrow. "And I'm sure I'll meet with her face-to-face soon enough." "Why don't we attack now, leader? You said the city would be sealed off, but it's not." "No, not yet. Don't be so overzealous," she casually tossed aside her clone's argument, gazing intently upon the mountain's face just several miles away. It had taken them the better part of the morning to get this close to their target. They all knew they could have arrived much sooner just by teleporting, but there would have been little advantage to that. With the city infested with powerful unicorns, royal guard or not, the risk was simply too high. Ponyville had been admittedly a much easier objective to conquer, especially with the most gifted unicorn among them left powerless. She addressed her subordinates. "The city is still crawling with the royal guard. That much is certain. The barrier itself, whenever Celestia erects it, will only be a slight hindrance. With our combined power it will not be such a challenge. However, with that army of 'ants' still roaming free, they could prove to be the real threat here." "So do you propose we just wait?" asked one of the others. "No, quite far from it in actuality. There is still further progress we can be making while we wait for the rest of the guard to vacate." "How so?" inquired the clone beside her. "You all already know... just like the way the queen knew!" she asserted. "What are talking about, leader? I thought we weren't helping her any more, agreed?" She took her clone's words to heart and started to slowly advance in the direction of the mountain."Correct sister, this is not for her. It just so happens that we want the same things. Now follow me!! All of you!!" Her copies hesitantly obeyed, as their leader suddenly and loudly flashed out of existence. The four subordinates all simultaneously teleported as well, giving chase to her as she spontaneously appeared and disappeared at random points within the forest. Arbitrary crackles of lightning echoed through the tall trees. It was fortunate for them that the surrounding area leading from Ponyville to Canterlot had been fully evacuated the day prior, else they would have surely captured unwanted attention. Roads leading up the mountain side remained barren and the train itself had not gone by in two days. It did not matter to their leader however, as she had a more indirect path in mind. Far below the high spires and massive platforms supporting the city within the mountain, the powerful quintet of unicorns came to a vast grassy plain. They found themselves at the base of the torrential waterfall which fell from the tall peak looming overhead. They gazed skyward towards their colossal marble-colored target, as the sound of crashing water filled their ears. The leader turned to address them once more. "We're going to teleport up the cliff face! If you have any objections to this, speak now!" she demanded. A few of them calmly shook their heads from side to side to show their willingness. "Very well! Stay close together, and don't be too assertive, for you might just lose your footing!" Now staring back at the cliff face, she scanned for the first rocky terrace to use as their starting point. Her eyes flickered with delight in the setting sunlight when she finally saw it. With a quick burst of light from her horn, she flashed off once again. Her subjects took note of her position several stories up on a small outcropping of rock, and subsequently teleported with a blinding flash of their own. Their hooves all plopped down uneasily on the rugged terrain, but they somehow managed to have just enough room to stand comfortably. The leader signaled for them to wait as she flashed up to an even higher perch. This cliff edge was too small to support all of them once however. "One at a time!" she yelled down to them. Amicably, her copies formed a semi-straight line of order. When she received the go ahead from the one in front, she flashed off again for some other cliff up far above her. She glanced down occasionally to see if they were keeping pace with her and laughed quite jubilantly the higher they went. Her plan was starting to come to fruition, at long last. After scaling the treacherous rocky face for nearly half an hour, they were now only about a few hundred feet below the underbelly of the royal city. The wind at this altitude was proving much more brutal than she had remembered, but perhaps it was because she had rarely ventured outside of the city's walls. Her copies were obviously not faring much better, however it didn't matter at this point, for they had reached as far as they could go without alerting any passing guard. "No, this will have to do," she surmised. Her horn flared up once again, preparing a turbid dense flame which was to be directed at the stone wall beside her. The subordinate clones stopped on their clamorous platforms awaiting for her to make the next move. To their surprise, their leader actually began blasting a concentrated violet beam directly into the cliff's sturdy face. Massive stone slabs churned under the heat and adroitly dislodged themselves, simply tumbling off the side of the mountain past her. Fortunately this process was not quite as loud as she was expecting it to be, and from this far beneath the city anyone above would simply think it was a common rock slide. She halted her progress for a moment and signaled to the next in line to teleport. As her clone winked into existence next to her she pointed back to the crevice she had just created. "If we work together sister, we can bore into the mountain," she noted calmly. Her subordinate quickly realized her intention and nodded in agreement. "Oh yes! The mines!" "Exactly. Now please, help me. If we stay out here too much longer we run the risk of getting caught," she added. "Yes leader, of course." The two doppelgangers of Twilight Sparkle positioned themselves facing the semi-circular fissure in the wall. The ambient energy trailing from their now shimmering horns began to coalesce in the surrounding air. Once their powers had fully melded, they opened fire upon the wall with great fury. The combined heat of their blast was powerful enough that it easily melted any and all rocks before them, all into a churning, red-hot, viscous paste. Their collective beam easily bored deeper and deeper into the mountain side, perfectly punching a circular shaft large enough to accommodate all of her copies. The leader halted her destructive beam for a quick moment and her clone reluctantly followed soon after. She turned once again to her copies down below and silently instructed them to advance. With several quick flashes of light and crackles of electricity, the quintet was once again reunited before the super-heated chasm. Dense hot air and the smell of melting minerals pelted the inside of their nostrils causing a few of them to wince. "Now," the leader suddenly grabbed their attention, "we are directly below the city as you can plainly see. This means that if we continue to tunnel into the mountain from this way, we will eventually reach the old mines buried deep beneath the city. From there, we will go to the deepest cavern within the mine and cast the spell there. However, before the spell can be finished, we need the artifact from within the castle." "So, we wait until the others come through for us?" one clone asked. "Precisely. There was no point in rushing here earlier this morning. By the time we make it to the core of the mountain, the guards' numbers should dwindle to merely a few. Besides, any minute now Celestia will--" CRACK!!! A dreadfully loud eruption from above painfully flooded their ears. A swift wind of yellow aura crashed into the five mares, sending them toppling over onto their sides. They had not been anticipating that Celestia's barrier would be quite so forceful, but as the sphere of swirling energy began to encase the city in wavering sunflower-colored light, they found it nearly impossible to stand. They could not see it from their current position below the city, but the Princess' familiar beam reached skyward towards the shield's apex, pumping more and more energy into it. "Gah! Curse her!" cried one of the staggering clones. "D-don't worry! We'll have our chance soon enough, I can assure you of that," the leader turned back into the cooling tunnel, "But for now, the barrier will ensure that nopony in Canterlot hears of our progress!! This will be even easier now!!" Splash! Rainbow dove through the waterfall and came up on the other side, stirring Twilight from her light snooze. The unicorn hadn't had any opportunity to fall into a deep sleep since she left, not with her stomach growling in agony every few seconds. In fact, it seemed like everything in her life was working against her now to prevent her from sleeping. Why can't I just keep my eyes shut. Oh well... I don't even care now. I'm just happy she's finally back. Rainbow lurched her body up onto their little rocky loft and gently strode over to her defeated looking friend. She held within her mouth two large, green, and sagging leaves which apparently looked to be holding food. Twilight meekly sat herself up reached for one of the leaves, but Rainbow quickly nudged the other one to her instead. Not exactly sure of her intentions, she happily took the sagging leaf anyway and opened it to reveal a haul of assorted blue and red berries. Wow! Thank you so much, Rainbow! She set down the berries and gave the pegasus another quiet hug. Rainbow was quite relieved to see her friend so happy again, even if she didn't exactly show it. The other heavy leaf in her mouth kept her from saying anything. She pulled away and let Twilight start to pick through her little stash of berries, popping one, then two, then four at a time into her mouth. Eventually, her stomach started to quiet down and the rumbling went away. Twilight sighed in silent relief. Rainbow walked a few steps away and sat down coolly, staring blankly into the waterfall. She held the leaf meant for herself in her mouth all while Twilight quietly finished the last of her berries. When she had finished, the unicorn glanced up at her friend's now gloomy expression. Why... isn't she having any of hers? The pegasus looked over at her friend's empty leaf, making sure she was absolutely done, and turned back to the waterfall. Twilight leaned upwards towards her friend, but she didn't seem to budge at all from her sitting position. What happened next almost seemed to occur in slow-motion for Twilight. Rainbow relaxed her lower jaw, and carelessly let the leaf fall freely to the ground below. Its contents violently spilled across the rocky floor beneath them. A sharp pang of horror racked Twilight's frame as she finally made the connection. Rainbow's leaf... had been filled with dirt.