//------------------------------//
// 51 - Incursion 
// Story: Gladiator 
// by Not_A_Hat 
//------------------------------//

"I just don't know, Bit."
 
I was sitting on a log, in the forest. Unwilling to completely cut my alchemical business, I'd scaled back my expeditions. We stuck to the relatively safe edge, but we were going regularly. Although the ingredients were less valuable, with my salary as an ambassador I was doing just fine. I also used the time to teach Bit about the forest, information it eagerly soaked up.
 
The changeling gave me an unreadable stare.
 
"I'm not sure why you're telling me this, sir."
 
"I just need to talk. And, well, if I know one thing about you, it's you're good at keeping quiet." That was one of the first lessons I'd impressed on Bitterbloom. Staying quiet could get you through many troublesome situations with minimal effort. I'd seen it utilize the technique impressively.
 
"Thank you, sir."
 
"Just the truth." I pulled out my thermos. "Let's have lunch."
 
"As you say." Bit unslung its own pack, and carefully retrieved our lunchboxes. I snapped mine open, and grinned. Tuna salad.
 
"Mmm, good job!" Bit smiled slightly at the praise.
 
"What is it, sir, that you just don't know?"
 
"About Discord. What he said. Could you please repeat the bits I highlighted?"
 
Bitterbloom took its duties as my secretary very seriously. Under Spike's tutelage, It had cultivated its prodigious memory to record whatever it thought would benefit me. I hadn't realized the extent of its ability until it began repeating scraps of conversation verbatim, even mimicking voices and intonation. Last night we had transcribed my conversation with Discord. I often asked it to repeat various pieces as I considered them.
 
<"The riddle of stars.">
 
<"This visage, no veneer of vanity, is a vestige.">
 
<"The second rock from Sol.">
 
<"Not with a bang or a whimper.">
 
<"March fifteenth? November fifth?">
 
<"Here we go 'round the prickly pear, prickly pear, prickly pear, here we go round the prickly pear at three o'clock in the morning!">
 
<"She means well, but Twilight can be so very controlling!">
 
My assistant slowly repeated the lines, leaving a pause between each while I ate. Discord's flowing intonation sounded strange in its lilting soprano. Upon finishing, it attacked its sandwich with quiet gusto. I leaned back against a tree-trunk, and tried to think this through again.
 
"A secret in the stars, V for Vendetta, the Evening Star, and that last line. Four references to Twilight Sparkle, in one way or another.  V for Vendetta doubles, The Hollow Men, The Ides of March, Guy Fawkes day, The Hollow Men again, and that last line. That's four references to the Gunpowder Plot, and two more…betrayals. One by a trusted friend, who had the best intentions. Et tu, Sparkle?" I slowly tasted the words.
 
"I just don't know, Bit. Discord was being pretty obvious…in a very cryptic way. But it was clearly a message only for me, as though he didn't want to make actual accusations. Who else would get those references? Besides…Twilight." I frowned. "I trust Twilight. But… keeping a secret for my own good wouldn't be completely out of character. Still, that feels like manipulation, or control, and I don't like that. At all. I don't trust Discord much, but if he's trying to sow anarchy, he's doing it poorly. And Fluttershy claims he's reformed. Unless he just wants to watch me squirm." I considered that for a minute. It would cause chaos, but only for me.
 
"Could he really have been sincere? Is he just trying to be friendly, but doesn't really know how to go about it? A secret like that…I don't even know. What should I do? If Twilight's acting in my best interest, I don't want to hurt her. But the truth is, that sort of attitude…I just can't stand it. Celestia, at least, asked my permission before involving me in her plots. And even then, she knew I wouldn't be happy." I gave Bit a slow glance. "On the other hand, that one's worked out so far. Still, I'm either playing into Discord's hands, or I'm leaving this to fester." I leaned my head back, and stared at the sky. "I just. Don't. Know."
 
"Then you should ask." Bitterbloom swallowed a bite of sandwich and gave me a perplexed stare. "I realize you have much more experience with emotions than me, but I can taste this troubling you." Its ears twitched, and I remembered they were actually antennae.
 
"Maybe I'm incorrect, but I believe if you gently question your friend, she will either reveal what she's thinking or re-think what's happening. She is your friend. True friends won't let this drive them apart. Or so you've taught me. Even if Discord is being manipulative, he can't control you. Simply be a better friend than he expects. Since I've been told even I know more about friendship than him, you should be able to outwit him easily, sir."
 
"Mmmm." I sipped my drink and passed the bottle to Bit. It gratefully accepted and poured a cupful of lemonade. "Yeah, you're right." I rubbed my eyes. "That won't be fun, but it's what I've got to do."
 



 
"Twilight?"
 
I stopped my friend, just as she left her house. She had a full set of saddlebags, packed to bursting, and Spike was carrying another two suitcases.
 
"Where are you headed?" I tried to keep my voice neutral, but I was nervous. This confrontation threw me back to our first precipitous meeting. I didn't want to lose a friend. I didn't want to bring up Discord's words. But I knew if I didn't, something between us would sour. I'd end up hurting her even more in the end. Had Discord guessed this? Did he expect the one response, or the other?
 
"Canterlot!" She gave a happy grin. "With Rarity! I'm speaking to the Alumni Association on my - our, really, work on crossing schools!"
 
"Neat." I morosely followed as she set off down the road. Bit quietly took one of the suitcases from Spike, who grinned his thanks.
 
"Something bothering you, Wes?" Twilight glanced back. Normally, I'd have loved to chat with her about her presentation. Ever since I'd shown her up teaching for Cheerilee, she'd asked my opinion on several lectures. As long as they were for adults, I usually had little to add, but the discussions were always fun.
 
"Yeah." I frowned, and tapped my temple. She quirked an eyebrow, but responded with a pulse of magic.
 
"Discord said this to me the other day." I started off with a simple explanation of getting off the train, and then slowly fed the entire scene with the draconequus across the link. My memory wasn't as good as Bit's, or even hers, but I'd been going over this in my mind for several days now, and it was firmly cemented in my memory. As it replayed, I let her see my feelings and the associations that had triggered, and I tried to watch her reaction. When she saw me count the references and heard my final conclusion, the link in my head snapped with brittle crunch. I caught fragments of dismay and fright.
 
"Twilight?" I was concerned, despite myself.
 
"G…give me a minute." She was breathing shallowly. I nodded, and we walked in silence.
 
"Twilight…" I started slow. "I'm sorry to spring this on you all at once. I didn't realize you were leaving. But… well, I need to start somewhere, and if I'd waited, something would have begun crumbling. If you can't answer… I won't like it, but I'll try to respect it. For a while. But I have to ask; are you keeping secrets I need to know?"
 
"Hello, hello!" Rarity fell in step beside us. Sweetie Bell dropped a huge pile of suitcases with relief, and Spike sighed. Rarity smiled and winked at him and he instantly cheered, scooping up the load with a grin. Bit looked back and forth between them. I was probably the only one who could tell their interaction left it deeply perplexed. It glanced at me, and I tapped my watch. I'd explain as best I could later.
 
"Well, what's this?" Rarity glanced back and forth between us. My beetled brows and Twilight's heavy steps sapped her normal cheer. "Are you two fighting?"
 
"I hope not." I crossed my arms. Twilight sagged further.
 
"Sorry, Wes…I don't…I'm not…It just…"
 
"It just happened?" My voice was flat, as I recognized her regret. "And you never did anything about it?"
 
"…maybe."
 
"Huh." I rubbed my chin. "I know how that works. But you're not answering my question."
 
"Now hold on a second, Wesley!" Rarity gave me stern glance. "I don't know what you're discussing, but is this really necessary? Must you be so harsh?" She gestured to Twilight. "Look!"
 
The purple unicorn was obviously struggling. Her head, tail, and hooves drooped. She barely shuffled along, nose nearly dragging in the dirt.
 
"But…"I rubbed my forehead, trying to sort my thoughts. "I need to know! I need something! I can't just…look, Twilight, just say you're on the level! Spit in my face, call me a fool, call Discord a liar! You don't have to hold back; I can take it all! Scream, yell, rave, rant, explode, but tell me I’m wrong! Please! I don't want this between us!"
 
Rarity swallowed her words at my outburst, and turned curiously to Twilight.

"Darling...what's this about?"
 
"No, it's…" She gave me a pitiful look, and I saw her resistance crumble. "I am. I am keeping your secrets from you, Wes! It's not forever! I thought it was for your own good, I still do! I knew it would hurt you, I didn't want..! But…but telling you now…Wes, please! You would, you're not… you have to trust me! This…" She sniffled. "This just can't end well! Oh, I'm so sorry!" She leaned on Rarity, fighting tears. I flinched, trying to temper a sudden rush of anger with the feelings of companionship and trust we'd carefully grown. Rage fought against resolve, until resolve won out.
 
"Well…" I drew a deep breath. This wouldn't be easy. I wanted, desperately, to rant and rail. If I pushed, she'd snap. What did she see as such a danger to me, about me? My instincts tingled, dread and apprehension warring with hurt and impatience. She had no business hiding things to protect me. That wasn't her choice. I was an adult, and demanded respect as one. But what if she was shielding me? What if I really was better off not knowing yet, not just happier but actually healthier? I wasn't always stable or reasonable. What if she was right? Could I stand her help? That's what trust was, surrendering a little freedom to someone, as long as they never used it to hurt you. I didn't want to bring either of us empty pain, and if I forced her here, she'd be crushed. I stung because the trust was stolen. But… I could still give it. If I'd been asked earlier, I'd have said she deserved it. Hurting and wanting didn't lessen that.
 
"O-okay. I'll trust you." I choked the words out, but held up a finger as she visibly relaxed. "More. For now." She gave me an apprehensive look. "Twilight… This hurts. Maybe that's why Discord did it. But if not, I still want to be a better friend. I'll wait a while. But please, please. Search your heart. Trust me in return. If you still can't reveal it, maybe I'll eventually understand… but till then, it will rot our friendship. I won't force you. But if you can't tell me about me… you're controlling of part of my life." I shook my head slowly. "I hate that." My voice was calmer than I'd expected, but my heart was surging and bumping.
 
"I want, I need reassurance. This can't sit; I can't trust blindly. Talk to Celestia. She's proven worthy of trust by her actions and subjects. I'll trust you both. If she won't tell me…" I gulped. "So be it. But if you come back holding this to yourself… I can't swallow that. Even with Celestia's reassurance, it will hurt." I drew a ragged breath, and wiped my eyes. "Please, Twilight. I want to be your friend! I want to trust you, but it's so hard!"
 
"O-oh, Wes." Twilight's voice broke. "I never meant this to happen."
 
"Fine." I shrugged, swallowing a lump in my throat. "I'm no better. If I was stronger, maybe I could let this lie. But I can't, Twilight. I just can't." She nodded somberly at that. Rarity gave us both a heavy stare, but held her peace. I took as much luggage from Spike as I could carry, and we walked silently to the station.
 
"Wes!" Twilight called from a window, as the train pulled away. "I’m sorry!"
 
"Me too." I looked down at Bit, and shrugged. "Me too."
 



 
"Where are you, little bug?" I stared absently into the night. Normally, I didn't worry about Bit being in town without me. It was scrupulously careful to maintain its disguise, and it had good friends. Besides, Onyx watched almost constantly, from various vantages and disguises. I'd never been able to discover exactly what worried the taciturn changeling, but his vigilance eased my mind. Still, it was dusk. The moon would rise any moment. I'd made supper, and Bit was never late for supper.
 
Something was wrong. I could feel it.
 
I turned off the pots on the stove and paced. I wanted to dash into the night, begin scouring the town. But Bit was only ten minutes late. It might be delayed, though I hardly believed it. I'd hate to miss my assistant by minutes. But I'd promised myself; if it wasn't home by twenty past, I'd put out the call. If I mobilized my friends, we could easily canvass the whole town.
 
I started as a feeble knock came at my door. I jogged over and whipped it open, expecting a contrite Bitterbloom.
 
Instead, I found Onyx. Collapsed. Bleeding. On my doorstep.
 
"What happened?" I dropped to one knee, and ran a hand along his neck, relieved to find a strong pulse. His shell was cracked, and he was bleeding in several places. Blunt force was lessened for bugs, but they broke instead of bruising. "Onyx!"
 
"Bit…was taken." His voice was quiet and strained, but waves of shock washed through me. "I'm sorry!"
 
"What? How? When? No, stop." I picked him up with a grunt, and carried him over to my table. I brushed table settings off, careless as they clattered to the floor. I set him down, and snatched my pack from by the door. I dumped my first-aid supplies out, reaching for gauze and tape. "Start at the beginning. We're only going through this once, so get it right the first time."
 
"Right. Heh. Too late for that." Onyx gasped as I started to wipe bluish ichor away from his wounds. "You know I've always watched…over Bit." His chest rose and fell irregularly, but he endured the pain as I tried to staunch the bleeding on his worst fractures.
 
"Yeah."
 
"Because, she's valuable. I thought if I watched, and no-one knew, she'd be safe. It wasn't enough." I wanted to yell at him to continue, but he grit his teeth as I dabbed antiseptic on a cut. "She was coming home, after time with Sakura. We were walking through the square. She didn't know I was there. All the ponies had gone inside, and it was quiet. Someone hit me from behind." He weakly pointed to a scuff on the back of his head. "They knew I was a changeling, I think. The blow was right." I frowned at that, but nodded. With an exoskeleton, the knockout points for a bug were different; I'd used that one myself. It paralyzed an important artery. A good rap would cut off oxygen to the brain, and they'd pass out. With a knife, the effect was even more impressive. "But they didn't hit right, even with a club. I fought back, but they weren't alone."
 
"Description?"
 
"Pointless." He waved a hoof, weakly. "I saw a half-dozen disguises. They were trying to disorient me." I nodded slowly at that. Most of my opponents had been too young to disguise, but Gash had done that. He'd used it to throw off my aim, or even make me miss grapples. "Still, I'm no amateur. I got in a few good - " He hissed as I cleaned the last cut. He'd been thrashed, but not lethally wounded. " - hits. Bitterbloom didn't have a chance, though. They finally laid me out." He pointed to a bruised cheek, barely visible under his shell. "Really rattled my brain. But before I blacked out, I sensed a teleport. When I woke up, they were gone."
 
I rapidly bandaged him, working to cover his wounds with gauze and tape. My mind whirled as I rifled through my bag, retrieving  a small vial of muddy liquid.
 
"Here. Drink this."
 
"This is…?"
 
"Some of Bit's reserve."
 
"Her…reserve." There was a reverence in his motions as he accepted the vial. He glanced at me reluctantly.
 
"Do it!" I snapped. "If the foalnappers send a note or messenger, we're going to be ready!"
 
"They won't." He coughed. "It's…not like that."
 
"What do you mean?" My voice was low and dangerous. "Onyx, if you've lied…" My hand fell to my dagger. "Talk!" I didn't exactly like Onyx. He didn't really like me. But we respected each other, and I'd tried to be fair. I thought he'd been doing the same.
 
"No, no." He shook his head and giggled, slightly hysterical as he slowly climbed off the table. "No, I haven't lied. But you still don't understand changelings, or Bitterbloom."
 
"Then TELL ME!" I whipped out my knife, and flung it. It zipped past his nose and sank into the countertop with a satisfying thunk, the thick blade buried nearly hilt-deep in the soft wood. I clenched and unclenched a fist, glad it was no longer tempting me. "Tell me now, Onyx. How many times do I need to ask you?"
 
"It's not me." He gave me a slit-eyed look. "I've been…well. Here's what I can say. The changelings won't send a note, because they don't understand family or friendship like you do. They didn't take Bit because she was valuable to you, they did it because she was valuable to them. So, there will be no chance to retrieve her. Unless we make it ourselves."
 
"Then all the more reason!" I pointed angrily at him. "Drink it!"
 
"As you say." He pulled the cork, and tipped the thick liquid into his throat. "Sweet." He gave a surprised glance, and turned a considering eye on me. "Your feelings for her are sweet."
 
"Thanks." I shifted uncomfortably, unsure what that meant. "How can we pursue?"
 
"I have no idea." He set the vial down morosely, but already seemed stronger. Still, his gaze fell. "I sensed a teleport. As far as I know, there's no trail."
 
"Hmm." I tapped a tooth for a second. "Did you actually scan it?"
 
"Yeah, but I can't remember - "
 
"Good enough!" I sprang into action. "Twilight and Rarity are gone. Fluttershy and Pinkie won't be helpful here. Dash and Applejack are too far out." I stripped useless weight from my pack, and yanked my dagger from the counter. I leaped into my room, and scanned the dresser before tucking a jewelry box into a pocket. "In the central square, you said?"
 
"Yeah. By the edge, where - "
 
"No time. Run to Lyra's. Say her padawan needs her, and she'll come. I'll get Sunset."
 
"But how - "
 
"Go!" I yelled, before slipping on my boots and leaving at a dead run.
 



 
"Hurry!"
 
"I am!" Sunset shot back. We were running the road to the square. Sunset had been surprised when I interrupted her supper, but when I explained what was happening, she'd dropped everything and joined me, barely pausing to close the flues on her fireplace.
 
She poured on a little more speed and started pulling ahead. I tried to match her, but she'd apparently hit her stride on the straight-way. Not even my longer legs could match her at a full gallop.
 
She reached the square before me, and stopped in a shower of sparks, iron shoes grinding on the cobbles. Lyra and Onyx had beaten us.
 
"Alright, everypony!" I stepped forward and seized control of the situation. "My aide, an innocent foal, has been wrongfully taken. I want your help retrieving him. I have no idea what we're up against. It might be a full hive. It might be Sombra and a Changeling Queen. Are you with me?" Three nods came back decisively. "Ok. Since we're going in cold -"
 
"Wait, wait." Lyra stopped me. "We have no idea where to go! They teleported out!"
 
"Really?" Sunset gave me a grimace. "What were you thinking, Wes?"
 
"He scanned the teleport." I pointed to Onyx. "Risograph him. We'll follow from that."
 
"Hmm." Sunset rubbed her chin. "That's… risky."

"Twilight used it on Rarity, to get a read on Sombra's mirror magic! Don't tell me you can't do it!"
 
"Twilight had time and a lab. You can have either fast or safe, not both." Sunset set her jaw. "Besides, changeling magic is different!"
 
"You can trace them?" Onyx gave her a surprised stare. "Do it!" He stepped up, letting his horn show through the disguise. "If it works, I don't care if you burn me out!"
 
"…fine." Sunset gave a troubled nod. "If you're willing to risk it, I'll do my best. Stand as close to the teleport as you can, and hold still."
 
"You're serious about this, Wes." Lyra sidled up to me, as the other two walked towards a shadowy area by the town hall.
 
"Yeah." I snapped open my correspondence folder. "If we had more time, I'd get more help. But from what Onyx said…I can't wait." I started penciling a note to Fancy. If nothing else, notifying the Agency was polite. If I was lucky, they'd be able to scramble reinforcements. I laid out the situation in terse strokes.
 
"No, I understand." Lyra shook her head. "But you've certainly become attached to that little bug."

"Bit's not just - !" I stopped, choking back a yell as what she said hit me. I really was attached to Bit. More than I'd ever expected to be, honestly. At first, I'd seen it as a bother. Eventually, it had grown into a helpful pet of sorts. By now, though…I wasn't sure. I felt strongly protective. This had shaken me. I thought back to pacing in the kitchen. I'd been worried, as if for child. "Bit's like an apprentice, maybe even a sibling or… or a child? I don't know. I've never been a parent. But whatever."
 
I finished my note with a scrawl, promising coordinate and more updates if possible. I flashed the note as top priority. Anypony at the Agency would escalate it. I should have heavy-duty support by daybreak, at the latest, if I knew where to send them.
 
"It doesn't matter exactly what our relationship is. Bitterbloom's mine." I clenched my fist. "I never thought I'd say that." A sense of wonder washed over me, as I realized I really did feel a burning loyalty to my small bug. "But whoever's done this, they'd better beware." I grinned, baring my canines. "We're going for them, Lyra."
 
"Good." She smiled back. I'd never seen such a fearsome smile from an herbivore. "Let's wreck 'em." We turned back to Sunset and Onyx. The unicorn had a half-dozen trails of cyan magic running from her horn to Onyx's. The changeling was grimacing, and his camouflage flickered as the tendrils moved. Sunset grunted, squeezing her eyes closed. White sparks crept from her eyelids as her magic saturated. Cyan sigils and runes spun out from her hooves, carefully prepared to channel her spell.
 
"Runecasting…" I breathed.
 
"She's good," Lyra replied, awed.
 
"I'm right here," Sunset bit out. "I may not have finished Celestia's tuition, but I worked solo for years. I've got my own tricks." I nodded, as the runes started crackling. Instead of trying to hold the entire spell-sequence in her head, she was projecting a simple image with the information encoded and forcing power through that. It would be lossy, but much less likely to degrade. Onyx grit his teeth as the tendrils swelled, pumping magic through his horn in unnatural patterns. He began swaying, and his eyes crossed. But right before he collapsed, the entire spell snapped back into Sunset's horn. She blinked her eyes open, concentrating the entire aura into a buzzing sphere, which calmed after a few seconds. She sighed as the stress of casting lessened.
 
"I got it." She breathed a deep sigh. "That was intense, but it worked. Onyx, you OK?"
 
"I think so." The changeling struggled to his feet. "What now?"
 
"Hmm." Sunset tapped her chin, and squinted at the spherical result she'd obtained. Numbers swirled through the condensed spell, reconstructed from Onyx's horn. "That's… a good question."
 
"What's up?" I stepped forward, and carefully scanned the spell. "Oh."
 
"Exactly." Sunset grimaced. "There's no coordinates here. I don't know if you missed that, Onyx, or if it wasn't part of -"
 
"They used an telekey." Lyra stepped forward, squinting.

"Excuse me?" Sunset gave her a surprised look.
 
"Hey, Sunset." Lyra belligerently stuck out her lip. "You may be a whiz-bang sorceress, but don't look down on us small-time casters. I can read this as well."
 
"No, no!" Sunset waved a hoof placating. "I'm not trying to be…elitist. I don’t want to look down on anypony. But how can you tell?"
 
"Look, here and here." Now all four of us were gathered around the risograph. "See these tails? They'd hook directly into an artifact. Check the twists. It could hold the coordinates and calculations for somepony who needed to teleport, but couldn't master the spell. Like a bug-out bomb. It takes more power, but less control, and only heads to one place."
 
"I see." I traced the spell with my wand, slowly reconstructing it with my mind. "I wish Twilight…" I stopped. I wasn't sure how I felt about Twilight, just now. I wished…I wished Twilight was here, and I'd never heard of Discord. I sighed, but stopped as something about the spell jumped out at me. "Oh! Look!" I traced an energy-path with my wand. "Here, this is a force vector!"
 
"So?" Lyra gave me a quizzical look.
 
"Don't you see?" Excitement was starting to well in my chest. "That's got to be set as you cast. It's an automatic function, but it's different for each situation! We can work with this!"
 
"How?" Onyx looked exhausted, but determined.
 
"Watch!" I carefully pushed a tiny thread of power into the reconstruction, my orange magic distinct from Sunset's blue. "This is the entirety of the spell, minus the coordinates. However, the artifact just stores the coordinates and calculations. The numbers need to be embedded in the spell before it can actually teleport! The information is still here!" I started lacing my power carefully through the tiny nodes and loops of energy, calculations flying through my head. The whole thing was here. If we could only get at it, we wouldn't need the artifact at all.
 
"What are you doing?" Sunset was fascinated. Lyra watched curiously, Onyx with detached ferocity.
 
"Reconstruction. This spell is a kinesthism, and your risograph is a half-inversion of the original. If I work this just right…I wish I had a calculator." I only had one chance at this, or we'd have to start over. I glanced at Onyx. I didn't want to risk that, but at least we had a plan. I'd been getting better at math through absorbing Twilight's skill. I wasn't nearly as good as her, but I was better than I'd ever been. I grit my teeth, and carefully checked what I was doing three times in my head.
 
"How are you doing that?" Sunset's voice filled with wonder as I finished my weaving, and carefully started to tug one end of the spell.
 
"I calculated the inversion matrix, and tagged each part in the right order. Twilight could have done it in a split second, but even with the boost from her…" I stopped before I spilled anything on my numancy to Onyx and Lyra. "I have trouble doing complex math in my head. Thankfully, with this, I just needed to start. The spell guides the rest." I'd set up the equation, and then traced the answer through the risograph. As long as it matched, I was doing OK.
 
As I tugged, the spell started sparkling and vibrating. I was re-inverting the spell.
 
"Holy crow." Lyra breathed as I gave one last tug, and the risograph popped inside-out, suddenly resolving into a perfect copy of the teleportation spell the kidnappers used. "That's so wrong!"
 
"I don't care." I shrugged. "If you can break the laws of physics, I can break the laws of magic. Turnabout's fair play. Look at that, and tell me if it worked!"
 
"It did." Onyx stepped forward. "That's what I saw, alright." I breathed a deep sigh.
 
"OK, how can we use this?" I pointed. "There's still no coordinates. But if you release it?" I glanced at Sunset.
 
"It would draw a lot of power, and warp…at least two of us." She grimaced. "Into who-knows-where. This is a long distance spell, like they use for the military warp-net. No wonder they had a telekey; even I couldn't cast this without a rune circle. They were either abnormally strong, or using boosters."
 
"They were burning concentrate." Onyx shrugged. "A changeling's power scales with their reserves. Any bug can be more powerful than you, Sunset, with enough emotion."
 
"Blech." Sunset grimaced. "That's not reassuring. How long have the Phoresians been harvesting fear?"
 
"And what do they plan with Bit?" I rubbed my head. "Wait, no. Questions later. Sunset, can we all use this? Can we bring more than two?"
 
"I think so." She shrugged. "If we all pour into it. I can carry most of the load, but I'll be nearly dry at the end."
 
"I can amplify it a little." Lyra stepped up. "I don't like doing it, because it's risky and I rarely cast with friends, but I've got a technique that might ease our way." Sunset gave her a considering stare.
 
"You sure it's worth it?" I gave her a look.
 
"Yup." She nodded. "We'll need everypony hitting hard. If Sunset's burned out, we'll be down one before we even start. Besides, two half-drained unicorns recharge faster than one fully-drained one."
 
"Ok." I nodded. "Can we get more backup? The rest of the Elements in town?"
 
"No." Sunset gave me a flat denial. "Much as that would help, only magic users can take this warp, and we need to go ASAP. It's pulling." She waved her horn slightly.
 
"What do we do?" Lyra asked, as we stepped inwards.
 
"Plug into the spell, follow my lead." Sunset flexed her power, and tiny threads spun out of the sphere. I extended my wand, arm tingling as the cyan tendril attached. I watched carefully as Sunset began, slowly pouring magic into the construct to activate it.
 
"Alright, I've got it." Lyra pulsed her horn. "Hold on, everypony. This might get rocky. Sunset, don't fight the fluctuations." Sunset grimaced and bit her lip. Lyra pulsed her magic, the familiar metaspell missed by everyone else. Still, the effects were immediate. We all gasped as the spell structure flickered and began vibrating. I watched in amazement as the pulses of energy washed back and forth. Lyra was concentrating power exactly where it needed to be, using her meta-magic to control the flow. Sunset grit her teeth and tried to match her output to the pulsing drain. Still, it would cut casting power by at least half.
 
For a second, I thought the whole thing would fly apart. But we suddenly got ignition, the central sphere whirling outwards in a blur of color to grab us. I braced for the twist, but still felt disoriented as the magic whisked me off my feet, spun me sideways through reality, and dropped me.
 
I arched in midair, nailing a three-point landing with knife in hand and ready for action. Around me, my friends materialized. Lyra vanished before even touching the ground. Onyx flickered and disappeared, some sort of active camouflage. Sunset never even landed; she whipped up a barrier and hung floating, a dozen orbs of power orbiting her irregularly and crackling with suppressed violence.
 
Calm.
 
I carefully stood and sheathed my knife, listening to my instincts. We were safe, for now. Either no-one was around, or they were miles better than us, and didn't care what we did. Sunset slowly landed, her orbs winking out and shield fading to a dim shimmer. Onyx re-appeared, materializing by the treeline. Lyra was instantly back.
 
We were in the forest.
 
I looked up; it was full night here. We'd moved a considerable distance; hours east.
 
"Ok, spread out cautiously, search for a trail." I patted my pockets for a bloom-jar and followed my own advice, lowering my head to inspect the ground before moving.
 
"No need!" I glanced at Onyx, who was grinning. "Oh, that clever girl!"
 
"Tell!"
 
"She has trust beyond trust in you, Wesley Kilmer. Despite the teleport, she's been leaving a scent trail." He drew a deep breath through his nose. "And her captors never noticed! Oh. Oh! We might actually pull this off!" He glanced at the moon. "Let's move!" He dashed silently into the forest, flinging himself headlong down a narrow path.
 
We fell into single-file behind him, ghosts flitting through the moonlight, hell-bent on revenge.
 
I would guard my ward. Retribution and vengeance would fall fast and fierce on any who barred my way.
 
I felt a flower of anger blossom in my chest, and hesitantly welcomed it. For the first time in a while, I had someone I felt I could hate. The familiar burn of emotion was warm, and I grinned savagely in dark.
 
It felt good.