//------------------------------// // 88 // Story: Twilights Mane Passion // by Darkonshadows //------------------------------// Daring flew out of Neighgraba with a few angry words on her tongue as she headed for the airship with a quirky name. Coming in for a landing she could see that changeling again talking with Twilight. She was still wary of the love eater and has faced too many strange, odd or fantastic creatures to really trust it entirely and thus far its presence was entirely seemingly benign. “That news is a bit relieving Chrysalis even if I’m still furious with that thing that calls itself a pony currently holding the throne. Get back to Fluttershy and make sure they can’t use them as hostages and get them ready for pickup, we’re moving against him today with or without any extra help.” Watching as her friend took off; Twilight sighed and turned to Daring. “What did the merchants have to say?” “That’s a no on having any extra help. I’m ready to enter the catacombs that lead underneath the palace when you launch your attack, please try to keep them exceedingly busy. Did you know your hair hasn’t stopped flaming since yesterday?” Daring couldn’t help but stare at the magical conflagration that was Twilight’s billowing mane and tail. She could also swear Twilight’s coat was turning white. “Arcane Keeper Yearling, may I have a word with you?” The sternness of Velvet’s words brought both Twilight and Daring’s attention to her as she came forward with Tress and Ballad. “Can you not use my full pinion name?” Daring was physically dragged a short distance away from the others by Velvet before she was let go. “Okay, what is it Velvet?” “You’re taking Tress and Ballad into the catacombs with you.” Velvet stared into Daring’s eyes daring her to try and go it alone. “I work better alone Velvet, you know that.” It was not hard to tell where this was going and Daring would rather do this solo. She figured it was much safer that way. “Even you need help at times. I’m not a medic Daring and you’ve come into our home bloodied or worse when running from your enemies once or twice. I’m tired of having to patch you up, you’re taking help this time and you’re going to accept it.” Velvet knew Daring didn’t trust too many after what has happened to her quite a few times, the adventurer even avoided hospitals after that assassination attempt. Velvet tends to only hear the lighter version of Daring’s more dangerous exploits. “I know you can trust Tress at least, she is basically my second daughter and quite capable. Ballad aside from being a thief is kind of like you in some ways and he even survived going after the lamp the first time on a different route of traps no less.” “Yes, but he is also the screw up that caused the vizier to gain power. He grabbed the lamp while we were both fighting over it. In fact the vizier was the reason Ballad even knew it existed and I was just trying to prevent it from falling into the wrong hooves.” After a moment Daring realized she just basically agreed to take Tress along as she had no reason not to. The mare was a fighter if you could overlook her seemingly frail appearance and beauty; she was fast and viciously strong if the crying thieves were to be believed. “You’re still taking Ballad along, he wants to make amends for what he caused and he’s willing to put things right. Give him the chance, that’s all I’m asking and you know I’m a good judge of character Daring. The princess wouldn’t love him if his heart wasn’t in the right place.” Turning her backside to her old friend, Velvet walked off to converse with her husband. If her Nightlight fell for any of the dessert beauties he was saving even for a moment he was getting the couched for a week. An hour later of convincing arguments saw Daring flying off with Tress and Ballad Din in tow, but not without Twilight giving Tress a hug. Even Ballad got some snuggling in with the princess despite Rough Heeds glare directed at him before he galloped off. They were headed to the catacombs, while Twilight led her group to march on the entrance to the city of Neighgraba. Behind Twilight’s group the airship lifted off, Nightlight would be waiting for the signal to begin loading passengers as that was when the vizier’s forces would be too distracted to notice the airship. Twilight had her mother, Trixie and Rarity with her. She knew her mom was generally good at fighting; she had little to no idea how good Rarity would be and had at least some idea as to what Trixie could do. She stopped outside the gates to Neighgraba. She didn’t care that her hair was constantly lit aflame; her seething anger at what the vizier had done to those mares was fresh in her mind. She was not going to let that go without justice and retribution, there were fates worse than death and Twilight knew how to inflict a few of them on a pony. “Are you sure about coming along for this Rarity?” Four unicorns of varying magical strengths attacking a power mad vizier, he had an entire army of guards at his command and Twilight knew Rarity was the least powerful of the four of them. “Why of course darling, he is an abomination and an affront to all that is fabulous. Besides once we’ve dealt with the brute, I can finally get some shopping in and get some authentic Saddle Arabian fashion.” Rarity wasn’t going to back down from this fight, what that stallion was doing was abhorrent and she was as angry as Twilight only she hid it better than the one with the magically flaming mane. “Don’t worry about me; I can take care of myself even though I’m nowhere near as powerful as you are.” “Trixie has no complaints either; Trixie will show you all just how powerful she is.” Flaring her cape and taking a magnificent stance Trixie knew she was ready to put on the performance of a lifetime. “Are you okay with this mom? You’re the only one here that can speak Saddle Arabian at the moment.” Twilight’s query received a response of a twirling three sectioned staff and the hum of an expert baton twirler who was once part of a marching band when she was younger. “Just remember my little Sparkle Butt; we need to stop the vizier from using the guards as hostages as well while we take them down.” Velvet was the current voice of the group. She wasn’t as fluent in Saddle Arabian, but she knew how to get her point across. She kissed her daughter on the cheek and hugged her while giving her a longing nuzzle. “Just try not to get too hurt, because if you do I’m not sure I will be able to stop myself from breaking out the permanent injuries on every pony between me and you. You’ll always be my little pony. It’s sad that you’re almost all grown up, soon you won’t even need me to fight off mind controlled armies or ancient destructive cosmically powered beings anymore.” The happy go lucky way that Velvet Sparkle put it caused the three mares to shiver at the promise of bodily harm. Nobody would ever hurt her foal on purpose without expecting to lose a limb or get horribly maimed like that poor Chrysalis girl. “Please remind Trixie to never ask you for a duel with anything tougher then pillows as a weapon.” Trixie ears fell back as she addressed Twilight while Velvet led them to the gates. “You’re mother is scary and I’m now worried her spine breaking hugs might be more literal then Fluttershy gives them credit for.” “She’s always been like that Trixie and I doubt she would permanently harm any of my friends.” Twilight only cooled down a little, her magic was ready to be unleashed on the nearest source of evil in righteous fury. “Please do open the gates will you.” Soft spoken, yet with a hint of danger the two guards immediately pushed the doors opened and stepped clear of Velvet. She simple trotted through with three trailing mares, she only stopped for a moment to say something in Saddle Arabian. “Thank you.” “Rarity don’t get distracted, you need to be vigilant and even more so as we approach the palace if the thieves don’t get in our way thanks to what Tress did to a good number of them yesterday then it’ll be a clear shot to the palace.” Twilight noticed Rarity almost getting sidetracked by the marketplace and immediately veered back into following them. “Sorry, it’s just I want to at least explore the city.” Rarity’s eyes wandered a bit at all the wares as they passed, she was a bit nervous about this and even then she wasn’t about to allow something like this to continue. “I know we can do that afterwards, but you can’t blame me for wanting to look as I have hardly had a chance to. Besides I know it’s dangerous to walk around alone, but what are the chances that the controlled guards would even bother with us right now?” As soon as it was mentioned, two grey eyed guards approached them with lethal intent only to have two heavy pots smash into their heads before they could even get close. Looking up at the nearby windows the four mares saw a male camel wink at them, he had heard of an attack on the vizier from a mare asking the merchants for help dealing with the controlled guards. He had a bone to pick with the vizier so he figured he’d lend the mares some aid. While he wouldn’t attack the empowered vizier or his forces directly, he wouldn’t mind helping the guards after they’ve had an accident that was in no way his fault whatsoever. The camel had given the surrounding populace that was friendly to the cause a heads up. This is why the unconscious guards were soon dragged away by two Saddle Arabian stallions; a small quiet rebellion against the vizier was started. Twilight’s group had a clear shot to the palace and half the controlled guards that were put in their path were mysteriously missing in action by the time they reached the steps to the palace. There was a lot of broken pottery that some Saddle Arabian mares were sweeping off the streets; it was somewhat inconsequential that there seemed to be a lot of citizens with butter hooves today. “Grand Vizier *incomprehensible gibberish name*, come out and face us yourself you coward!” One of these days Velvet figured she was going to look through some of her old notes on the translation spell she was using. They had garnered Jabber’s attention alright, he had used half the guards under his command and he saw clear road all the way up to the steps the four mares were standing at the bottom of. “It seems my… friend, shall we say…was right, you are more of a nuisance then I originally gave credit for. To have passed all my guards looking fresh and unhindered as you do.” He held a scepter in his left hoof he thrust it forward. “But I’m no fool off my guard, kill them!” A large surge of guards passed the vizier and charged down the stairs. The vizier stood there waiting to see what he was up against, the purple mare sent a bolt of energy into the sky that glowed brightly and did little else. “Oh, oh, there’s the signal Mr. Twilight’s Dad Sir Captain!” Pinkie hopped up and down next to Nightlight, the stallion smiled and spun the wheel and hit a lever with his magic. The Indistinguishable Plot started to move for the back of the palace. The four mares stood their ground as the guards charged down the center of the steps. Velvet standing in the lead as she brought down the first three guards as she met them with her three sectioned staff she stole from a ninja pony with relative ease. Soon she received a blade through the neck as they swarmed her. Despite looking to have the situation well handled before; she fell to the ground where the blood began to pool and twitched slightly before she ceased moving. Twilight cried out for her mom and rush forwards only to be stabbed in the side and have the sword ripped out of her spilling her guts to the sandy ground, she cried and tried hold her innards in before a sword came down upon her ending her tears. There was just too many of them. Rarity was back into a corner and defending herself quite well with a wooden stool and some cloth she was using to trip and befuddle the guards, she was swiftly stabbed in the chest where her heart was and the life slowly left her eyes. Trixie was firing magic blasts and putting up a lot of a fight and avoided getting stabbed or sliced as horribly until a spear hurtled into her butt and right hind leg. This took out one of her legs from beneath her. After a few seconds the controlled guards backed off. Trixie stood there curiously looking on wondering why they retreated a bit. With a grimace on her face, she looked up as at the palace to see archers releasing arrows at her, they rained down upon her body piercing it in multiple places. The blue mare stumbled a few feet forward and let out a gasp throwing a hoof into the air dramatically before falling to the ground defeated. “Hah and the jinn said this would be hard, they were nothing against my might.” The vizier chuckled darkly before he turned around to walk away.