//------------------------------// // The trump card // Story: Homecoming // by seeker9709 //------------------------------// 8 Days remaining: 7:32 a.m. Thin white lights shone down onto the pale white floor and walls. Nothing of significance or interest stood out to the lone mare inside of the room; it was one consistent color, punctuated by her grey mane and coat. One of the only items inside of the room was a small steel table, similar to its surroundings in blandness and color, a basic rectangle with four legs. In front of her was a small curved metal bar, a chain running underneath it. Each end of the cold metal links merged into cuffs attached to her front hooves, holding her in place. When she had first awoken she had panicked, but after some time had managed to regained her composure. While she had no idea where she was, it was better to not give whomever had brought her here the pleasure of watching her squirm and panic. It would only feed their desire for her fear and obedience. Despite her initial shock and terror, she had not yet spoken a word out loud, and simply sat waiting for her captors to arrive. No doubt they would interrogate her, and while she may not have known where she was, she knew perfectly well how she had gotten there and had a pretty good idea as to why. These ponies were after Twilight, and they thought that she had some connection to the mare. 'One of these days, Twilight will stop making enemies.' A small smile covered her lips as she shook her head at her own inner monologue. Knowing Twilight's life style, the ponies holding her were just a few of the unicorn's enemies. For a mare of her power and strength, it was surprising that anypony who was courageous enough to hold a grudge against Twilight wasn't buried six feet under. Octavia, though she did not speak of it often, knew firsthoof just what Twilight could do to somepony who angered her. It would take quite the pony to hold their own against the wandering mare, and even then they would need courage beyond measure and power unrivaled. Twilight had spent years of her life helping others, while measuring out her wrath on those who deserved it. She was, for the most part, a mare of fairness and quality who showed kindness to anypony that deserved or earned it, while on the other hoof, she showed no mercy to those who followed the path of evil. She was so often mistaken, Twilight Sparkle. A mare so full of fear and anger, she had barely found room in her heart to let Octavia in. When they first met, Twilight had been very different. Her eyes had been permanently locked in a thousand yard stare, she didn't show any emotion, and she never spoke to anypony. She only wandered from place to place, trying to help anypony who was willing to let her. She had been so lonely... As Octavia stared at the table, sadly reminiscing on the past, a piece of the wall opposite to where she sat swung open. Two ponies shuffled through the small doorway, one after the other. First was a tall unicorn with a blue mane, who she recognized as none other than Duke Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guard. Behind him marched a cyan pegasus with a brilliant rainbow mane. Obviously Rainbow Dash, commander of the Night Guard and Princess Luna's personal student, as well as right-hoof mare. As soon as they entered, both ponies locked eyes with the grey earth pony. They stared at her wordlessly, with disappointed and angry frowns. Their furious expressions and angered movements were met with utter passivity by Octavia as she watched them with a blank expression, keeping silent as she looked on. She did notice Rainbow giving her an even sharper glare than the one coming from Shining Armor, most likely due to the white bandaging around her left shoulder. Quickly they walked to her, pulling a metal chair out from under the cold table. They sat, and for a minute, the two just stared at Octavia. Shining Armor laid his hooves out on the table, tapping the hard metal surface every few moments, while Rainbow folded her hooves in front of her. Neither ponies took their eyes away from Octavia as they gazed at her in cold, hard silence. The air felt tense as Octavia returned the silent stare, each side daring the other to speak, and break their contest. Neither wanted to appear weak, and make the first move. Neither wanted to show their hand. Finally, Shining sighed and leaned back in his chair. “Rainbow Dash?” He asked conversationally, looking towards the ceiling. “How many ponies have ever been brought into this building, for questioning of course, that have been proven innocent or carried no guilt?” The cyan pegasus lifted her chin, looking down on Octavia. “None.” Shining smiled contentedly towards the white ceiling. “None. That's correct. The building that we are currently in is only used when a pony is considered to be absolutely guilty. We like to call it 'The Tomb', because it's the place where the worst crimes and most dangerous criminals are brought to an end.” Shining leaned forward, locking eyes with Octavia. “You see,” Shining began again, “when a serious crime is committed, such as serial murder, treason, terrorism, or anything like those, it is considered a threat to the Palace. Basically, that means that it is personally brought to the attention of all three Princesses, and the leaders of the alicorn sister's military forces, such as Commander Dash and I.” He motioned to Rainbow, who still glared at Octavia. “What that means is Canterlot is brought to a state of emergency, even more so when the crimes are committed, or suspected of being committed, inside of Canterlot. When such a scenario takes place, the normal rules and regulations by which the police and our military forces must abide by are considered non-existent if the arresting officers are absolutely sure of guilt or have overwhelming evidence to support their claim. ” Shining leaned in further to Octavia, their faces now only a few inches apart. “That means that I am given power to arrest you as long as I have complete evidence and/or complete assurance of your guilt, which both Commander Dash and I both have assumed.” Once again he motioned to Rainbow. “Consider it a form of martial law, if you will.” He leaned back now, the smile still holding it's place. “You see, and of course I'm sure you were already aware of this, a dangerous criminal is in Canterlot at the moment. She has committed multiple acts of violence, murder, mind control, she's used illegal forms of magic, and has even made direct threats against the Crown. We believe, and have strong evidence to support our belief, that you are hiding her inside of your home, with full knowledge of her crimes as well as failure to report her to the authorities. That means that you are an accomplice to said counts of violence, murder, illegal magics, and threats to the Princesses. That is enough to put you away, assuming you aren't put to death of course, for somewhere around 1,755 years in prison. With parole, of course, but only after 982 years. With good behavior.” “Of course,” Rainbow finally spoke, “all of that is after your crimes are announced for the entire kingdom to hear. How awful will it be for not just Canterlot, but all of Equestria to know of the treasonous acts committed by Octavia Van Clef? How would it feel to have all of your hard work destroyed by this terrible event? Your name would be so hated, ponies would erase it from every nook and cranny that it was written in. Never to be spoken aloud again.” She finished, staring at Octavia with a simple smile on her lips. “However,” Shining Armor resumed, his horn glowing, “you can be spared from all of this.” A piece of paper appeared in the air, and gently floated for a moment before settling down in front of Shining Armor. He slid the paper over to Octavia. “If you just sign this piece of paper, all of the crimes that your name is attached to will disappear. Once signed, you will be taken into protective custody, and you will tell us everything you know about Twilight Sparkle, where you met her, where she goes in Canterlot, how to find her, et cetera, and you will never have to worry about anything happening to you. Provided you give us your full cooperation.” Another flash of pink magic, and a quill in a pot of ink appeared next to the paper. “Keep this in mind, though. You're friends with my mother, Velvet, and could also be charged with spying as well.” Shining armor shook his head, quietly clicking his tongue. “How heartbroken do you think my mother would be, not only to find out that one of her closest friends was a spy and a traitor, but also knew of her daughter's safety and survival?” “Not to mention,” Shining fixed the earth pony with a stern look. He leaned in towards her again, his voice barely a whisper, “you would be sparing a brother who has to deal with the guilt of knowing that his sister has been possessed by dark magic, has survived for over 15 years,” Shining swallowed a lump in his throat, “and who can't even tell his own mother.” His frown of anger turned to sadness. His eyes softened as he looked on Octavia. “I am asking you to help me get my sister back. All this time you've known, and you never told us. I don't know what she made you promise her, but it's time to stop with the lies. Please, help us, so we can help her.” Octavia was silent as Shining returned to a normal position in his chair, looking down with a small huff. The stallion was now clearly holding back tears, and she knew it. Her eyes flicked to Rainbow Dash. The mares only locked eyes for a moment before Rainbow glanced downwards, avoiding her gaze. Even she felt sorry for the Captain. The silence lingered for a few moments. Octavia's chest rose and fell with each breath. She knew the meaning of her next words, and they pained her as much as any ever could. “I'm sorry Captain.” Octavia stared directly into Shining's eyes as he looked up, sadness etched into her features. “I do not know Twilight Sparkle, I have never seen her in the flesh, and I do not know of her whereabouts. I wish I did, though. From what your mother told me, she seemed like she was an amazing mare.” She kept her gaze locked with Shining's, pity in her eyes. “Again, I truly am sorry, but I cannot help you.” Shining leaned back in his chair, the room once again falling silent. “I see.” He whispered. At first, he seemed to have simply shut down. But soon, his frown contorted into an expression of pure, controlled rage. He slid his chair backwards, the metal scraping harshly against the hard floor. He rose from the table and turned away from Octavia, with Rainbow Dash following suit. As he approached the door he turned back around. “I know you know where she is, Octavia. And I will not rest until we...I, find her. I can play this waiting game, and if you wont help me then fine. But when I do find her...” His threat went unfinished. There was no need for it to be said. The door slammed behind the unicorn and pegasus with a loud 'boom'. As silence fell across the room once again, Octavia whispered quietly to herself. “Oh Twilight, please forgive them. They don't know what they've done.” The outside was just as pale and bland as the small room Octavia was still sitting in. Bleak white walls stretched into long hallways with similar white tiles. Bright lights shone from the ceiling, providing the white halls with light that only seemed to enhance their glare. Their hooves clip-clopped across the tiled floor as Shining and Rainbow walked through the empty corridor. The tall unicorn walked ahead of his counterpart with barely controlled fury flowing through his veins. Octavia was guilty. He knew it, Rainbow knew it, and she refused to admit it. He had to give her credit. He had performed dozens of interrogations, maybe even hundreds, and he could tell a truthful pony from a lying one in no time flat. One did not get to be Captain of the Royal Guard by simple pomp and pleasure, after all. He had learned that even the most battle hardened and wary of soldiers had nervous ticks. A tap of their hoof, hyperventilation, shifting eyes, restlessness were only a few examples of small tell-tale signs he had seen in ponies. And yet, the mare had kept a perfect poker face on for the entire time. She had given no tell, made no sort of reaction to anything she was told, and took everything he had said in stride. He had never met a pony who looked so calm and relaxed. Normally a prim and proper noble pony such as herself would throw a fit at what had happened to her. Shining had expected her to be demanding a lawyer from the moment he walked in. He was fully prepared to have to yell and scream at his prisoner, to get through to her. But instead, he had been met with perfect calm and silence. Something even more interesting to Shining was her attentiveness. Every time he had caught a glimpse of the mare, she was looking directly at him. When he looked directly at her, she never stopped staring into his eyes. It was interesting, the look that had been in the mare's eyes. Her gaze was never one of attraction, lust, hate, or anger. Instead, it had been maintained as one of sadness, as if she wanted to forgive him. He couldn't stop thinking about it. He hadn't seen a pony look at him like that in such a way before. Even when Twilight “died” he was never looked at that way. Various pony's glances had been filled with pity and mourning, but never sorrow like Octavia. He wanted so terribly to be angry at the mare, but something about her took away his anger at the same time. While he had threatened her over and over again, smiling the whole way through, she only seemed to resonate calm. When she had finally spoken he had been ready to yell and scream at her, but found that his anger was restrained. He had decided to leave the room, but now that he had done so he couldn't fathom why. He should have stayed and kept questioning her. He had heard ponies give the “I'm sorry, but I don't know X” speech dozens of times over. So what was so different about her? It wasn’t fear that had caused him to leave, he knew that much. He had just felt...non-combative, and tired. He shook his head as he walked. He just didn't understand what had happened. Maybe he would try again once he had calmed down. Maybe he would just send Rainbow in alone. Shining looked back at the cyan mare as she glared daggers first at the floor, then at him as her head perked up. It would probably be best for Rainbow to not go in alone, unless there was a serious shield in between them, for Octavia's sake. Shining didn't know exactly what the pegasus would do to Octavia, but he was certain that the earth pony would be facing Rainbow's wrath. He wasn't ready to consider torture as a possibility yet, and certainly wouldn't send Rainbow in first if he did. A pony had never been subjected to “physical persuasion” under his orders and he didn't plan to start. Not today. He doubted it would change anything, anyways. He was already taking a huge risk by capturing Octavia; violence would only make things worse. If she was connected to Twilight, then no good would come of her being beaten and tortured. He glanced forwards to a pair of glass doors. They were almost out of The Tomb. Suddenly, Shining craved the sunlight, as his conflicted feelings weighed heavily on his heart. He wanted so badly to hate this mare for keeping Twilight a secret, but he also wanted her to speak the forgiveness that her eyes preached. He wanted to hear her say that his troubles would soon be over and no more pain would come, as he fell asleep in the comfort of her hooves. It was much later in the morning when Twilight arrived home, far later than she had originally expected. By the time she stepped into Octavia's home, the sun had already begun its gradual ascent into the sky. Normally she would return home a few hours before the moon had set, but as her deadline drew closer and closer her work pace had to be quickened so that she could be finished on time. By the time she had dragged herself through the back door, she was half asleep from working all night in the tunnels. Her bags hung at her sides, seeming unusually heavy in her exhaustion. She shuffled slowly into the house, desperately craving a hot shower before she joined Octavia in their bedroom. As she made her way through the small hallway she noted how peaceful the house seemed. Granted, the occupants were all night owls, but she had expected to see at least one pony awake. Maybe even a sign of such a pony. Not thinking much of it, Twilight slowly pushed aside the door to her shared bedroom. It creaked open gently, but as she looked upon the bedroom she had expected to see occupied, she found only unmoved bed covers and still-open curtains. She stared, confused, at the display before her. Octavia loved to sleep in during the mornings and, seeing how it was not even eight o'clock, should have still been in bed. Through bleary eyes, Twilight moved towards the queen-sized bed, one hoof dragging across the top of the blanket. As her hoof passed over a small lump beneath said blanket, her suspicions were confirmed. She pulled back the covers to find a small white flower lying on the mattress. Twilight had left it there for her, to be found when Octavia returned. It was a winter flower, her favorite. There was no way she would have just left it there. The flower's petals were curled up into a small bulb as it lay on the sheets, still awaiting the darkness that it craved so that it could bloom. It was called the Midnight Juniper, a rare flower that only bloomed in the darkness and cold. Once opened, it revealed its alluring smell and colors, and was considered a delicacy in many places throughout Equestria. Twilight had purposely put it there so that Octavia would find it when it was the most beautiful. Octavia would never leave something like this just sitting there on the bed. 'Unless she was never able to recover it.' The voice in her head reasoned. Twilight stared at the floor for another moment, then shook her head as she slowly turned to leave the room, not bothering to shut the door behind her. Walking quickly, Twilight stepped into the living room. Her head turned side to side as she approached the front. A normal pony would think that she was being paranoid, but Twilight knew of the danger both she and her loved ones faced by simply being together. The rest of the house seemed just as undisturbed as the bed, with everything in its normal place. But still, she had to be absolutely sure. Twilight narrowed her eyes. The thing that a pony was looking for was always hidden in plain sight. The rugs were in their normal positions, no scuff marks were on the floor, and no item was out of place She approached the front door, the straps of her bags encased in violet magic as they opened. Her horn flashed for a moment before the door opened, providing her with a shield so that she would not be disturbed or have to worry with a disguise. Anypony that passed in the next few minutes would never focus on the doorway, and would pass by without any sort of interest. The door swung open gently as Twilight crouched down in front of it, several items withdrawing from her pack. One item was a crystal magnifying glass, refracting the purple light as it was encased in her magical grip. Another was a small item similar to the glass in size and shape but lacking a middle, essentially an empty ring. The final item was a simple crystal bowl and a small, corked glass vial. Its contents glowed in a multicolor array as the liquid sloshed back and forth inside the glass. Twilight gently set the small magnifying glass down on the floor. Grabbing the small vial out of the air, Twilight bit down on the cork, pulling it out of the bottle. Normally she would have pulled it off with magic, but concentrated liquid magic was unpredictable when it came into contact with outside magic sources, even if they were both from the same unicorn. Gently, she poured a tiny amount of liquid into the small bowl. She poured until the bottom of the bowl was just barely covered by a small puddle, before re-corking the bottle and returning it to her bag. Gently, she dipped the empty ring into the liquid just enough to cover it entirely. The crystal frame glowed gently, a film stretching from the circumference of the circle and meeting in the center, similar to the bubble wands commonly played with by small foals. Carefully, she moved the wand in front of the door knob, turning her ear towards the opposite end of the circle. At first there was nothing, but after a moment a clear ringing came through the film. No, two rings. Like crystal bells reverberating off of on another. Frowning at the polished brass knob, she gently placed the ring back onto the ground, not wanting to break the film in the center. She picked up the magnifying crystal by the handle with her magic and the small bowl with her teeth, dripping just a tiny drop of the prismatic liquid into the center of the crystal. The glass glowed even brighter than before, shimmering with a rainbow of assorted internal colors. She held the vibrant glass over the brass knob, staring intently into the center. Two shimmers of color appeared on the knob, each one trailing into the air similar to a fire trailing smoke. The first one was a light blue color. The entire doorknob was encased in the substance, indicating that a pony had used it to turn the doorknob when they entered the house. The other color was much smaller, however. A small pink sliver lay underneath the blue. The line was curved slightly, making a shallow U shape on the handle. Twilight frowned at the shimmering color, setting the glass down down next to the ring. Gently she bent down, touching her horn to the brass knob. She connected it to the area where the pink magic touched, her eyes closed in concentration. Her horn lit up, but instead of magic flowing out and onto the spot, her horn seemed to draw it inwards, pulling the residue into her horn. Once she opened her eyes, her irises glowed briefly, the magic flowing through her mind. A barrage of words cascaded through her consciousness as she studied the spell, as it literally ran through her veins. Her eyes glowed a light pink before suddenly ceasing their activity as pink light emanated from her horn. Her eyes regained their natural color once again, the proper words finding their way to her lips. “Leave-No-Print Spell.” That was it. A near-perfect spell designed to leave no hoof print, fur, or evidence that a pony had ever been there. It was an enchantment that sent subtle magic throughout the pony's every fiber of being, so that there was nothing left of them after they departed, or until the enchantment wore off. It would literally destroy any evidence of a pony. Twilight ground her teeth in anger. This was a high-level spell, and risky to use as well. If the pony didn't cast it right or keep the spell under control, they could burn up their entire body in the process. But that wasn't the only reason for Twilight's anger. She recognized the magic's color. She had only met one stallion with pink magic that was powerful enough to cast such a spell. She spun, slammed the door shut, and gathered her tools. She then launched herself into the living room, rushing to the small bookshelf by the fireplace. She checked every nook and cranny of the shelf, but could not find the small knife she had once given to Octavia. She had hoped the mare would never need to use it, but had given it to her in case of an emergency. The fact that it was gone worried Twilight deeply. Her crystal devices in hoof, it only took a few moments to find evidence of magic elsewhere in the small house. She found a few spots, but the evidence was piling up nicely. And then, after scouring the floors and walls, she found the small droplet. It was barely visible against the kitchen floor, she had to narrow her eyes at the tiny smear. It was a hideous maroon and brown color, long since dried on the floor. From her bags, she drew one of her daggers, and gently chiseled a piece of the stain off of the floor, bringing the cold steel with the chip closer to her eyes. She nodded her head, there was no doubt about it. The stain was blood. Twilight's knife fell to the ground, her eyes wide with fear and anger. It all came together. The magic, the missing knife, the blood stain. Twilight slumped down and held her head in her hooves. They had come for her. They had taken Octavia from her. Twilight drew a heavy, labored breath as she sat on her flank, tears streaming down her cheek. She was filled with anguish unspeakable, they had taken away the mare that meant everything... Suddenly, her head raised up, and her eyes glowed with fury and anger. How dare they do this. Octavia had done nothing wrong. She only hoped that for their sake, this blood was not Octavia's. “No.” She whispered to herself. A small smile found its way onto her lips. As she stared at the chip of blood on her knife, the smile turned into a grin. Slowly, it spread across her face, a twisted and evil grin full of malice, hate, and anger. She withdrew a small slip of paper from her bag, staring at it with rage-filled eyes. This was perfect. They thought that they could win by doing this? How pathetic. Now she held the trump card, and she would make them pay for what they had done. Oh, they would pay.