//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: Misleading Appearances // Story: Avatar: The Last Alicorn. Book 3: Unicorn // by Jeweled Pen //------------------------------// Rarity kept her annoyed smile plastered on her lips, struggling to supress the urge to strangle the pony in front of her. He was one of the unicorns of their country, and he refused to shut up about some magical theory that, apparently, would revolutionize the dish washing industry. Originally she thought it had something to do with her mother's plans, but quickly found the pony just enjoyed the sound of his own voice. Now she was trapped like a fly on sticky paper, unable to escape the pony's droning. “You see, by creating special water stones that hold water until being shattered, we'll be able to revolutionize our cleaning capabilities. Imagine, never having to draw water out again when--” She wished he had brought one of these stones so she could force it down his throat. She'd almost welcome the sweet release of death at this point. Instead, she just smiled and nodded, occasionally giving the smallest response before the pony would start anew on his torture. Her eyes caught sight of her little sister, waving to her. She thanked the stars and smiled for real. “Excuse me, sir. My sister needs me.” She quickly trotted away, going just short of a full gallop so as to not offend the stallion. “What is it, Sweetie?” “You looked ready to crown him, in a more violent manner,” Sweetie said with a grin as her eyes flashed green. “I didn't want you to get in trouble, so I figured we could run off for a bit. Mother said we can leave to take care of a task for her, so long as we return once we're done.” Rarity sighed, wishing she could leave for good, but she'd take what she could get. “That sounds delightful. What did she want us to tend to?” “Mother says she has a shipment arriving, she wants us to ensure everything goes smoothly.” “Shipment of what?” “Mother said it was nothing for me to concern myself with...” Rarity nodded, then shook her head. It was becoming an all to common response from their mother. “I guess we'd best go then. It would be better than listening to Lord Hotair or whatever his name is prattle on about some more useless bits of magic.” She nodded to her sister and the two trotted out from the courtyard, into the city. Though they were already outside, she swore the air was fresher out here. ------ “Say ahhhh,” the unicorn standing in front of Twilight said, holding up a tongue depressor. After a quick examination, the pony checked off on his clip board before nodding. “Well then, miss... Amethyst. You're fit as a fiddle. Well, as near as I can check.” He'd tried to get her to take off her garments, but she'd refused, claiming shyness. He'd quickly relented. “Have you been under a lot of stress lately?” “Yes...” “Mmm hmm, as I suspected. All this war business, not to mention moving can't be easy on a young thing such as yourself,” he mumbled, pausing a moment to allow her to speak. She didn't respond, so he quickly continued. “Being in a class with Iron Will couldn't have helped. I swear, that minotaur is going to end up frozen on the bottom of a lake one day.” Twilight paled at the obvious death threat. “W-what? They'll kill him? But he's so--” “What? No no! I was exaggerating! He's one of the most... eccentric teachers we have, but he's quite loved by many in the city. The day they try to replace him, they'll have a full blown riot on their hooves,” the stallion said with a chuckle. “Have you been eating well?” “Not really. I ummm... it's been hard getting a proper meal. With the war and... and everything else.” The pony stopped, a look of sadness flowing over his face. He glanced to her for a moment and tried smiling, though it was weak and heavily forced. “Now... young Amethyst, I know all this might seem confusing at times, not to mention difficult. There's no war here, aside from... well, the pirates can't get this deep into the city, so you have nothing to worry about.” The stallion's forehead creased. “I know you may see yourself as a tad... old to be starting school, but don't you fret. These days there are ponies entering at all kinds of ages. Especially those caught on the... front lines.” The stallion shook his head and turned away. “Well, I have a few other ponies to tend to, so I'll let you return to class. If you ever need to talk, know there are those here willing to listen.” “T-thanks,” Twilight mumbled before getting off the chair. She glanced to him one more time. “You're a... a water bender, right?” “Yes.” “You don't seem very... cold.” The stallion stopped again, before shaking his head. “You only have to freeze your heart if your a combatant, dear. An icy heart does a healer no good.” She nodded and made her way out from the nurses office, glancing back towards the room for a moment before shaking her head. “They are all ponies, you already knew that,” she muttered to herself. “This doesn't change anything. It just means there are more ponies depending on you to fix everything. Even if they try to stop you...” She trotted through the halls and shook her head. “Why can't it just be like the legends I heard as a child? Faceless armies of pure evil, I could destroy those.” “Destroy what?” a voice said. Twilight looked up to see a yellow unicorn mare coming down the hall, staring at her. Besides her was a gray unicorn stallion. “Huh? Oh, nothing. I was just talking to myself,” the alicorn said, before trying to walk by. The two quickly blocked her way. “Wait a moment. I recognize you...” the mare said, her eyes narrowing on the avatar. Sweat began to bead down Twilight's face. “Yeah. You're that new girl, aren't you? The one who threw up on Iron Will?” Relief coursed through the alicorn, causing her to release a sigh. She couldn't help but feel impressed at how fast the news had spread. Though, she imagined behind carried off by the minotaur had left quite the impression. “Oh, yes. That was me. It was an accident though. I uhhh... are you from the earth kingdom--” She was cut off by a vicious strike to the side of the face, so sudden she didn't even realize it was coming. Dazed, the avatar stumbled back and sat down, eyes wide. “W-wha--” “Filthy little dirt swallower,” the mare said, her hoof still raised. “Don't you dare imply that I could ever be from anywhere but the Water Nation. You might think your something special, being allowed into our glorious nation, but let me explain something to you.” The unicorn moved in closer. “You're nothing more than bodies. All of you. This nation only cares about us water benders, if you can't bend, you're nothing more than a pathetic earth pony with a few small tricks.” Twilight stared, before narrowing her eyes. With a grunt, she got to her hooves and shoved forward, pushing her eyes close to the other mare's, startling her. “I might not have any of your water bending, but don't think for a moment that means I'll let you just slap me around. I--” Her words were cut off as the mare made another strike, though this time she was ready. Her training took over and she went into one of the stances Applejack had taught her. Hooves locked and stable, head forward. The blow struck, but she moved her head so the toughest part of her skull and horn took it. With her body unwilling to bend from the blow, the force reverted on the hoof. The mare shrieked and backed up, holding her hoof close to her side. “Y-you, you, why you little, oww... J-Jet!” the mare shrieked, looking to the stallion. “W-what?” the stallion asked. “She hurt me! Get her!” The stallion looked confused and worried, before eying the alicorn. He charged forward and raised a hoof. Twilight looked around, but she didn't see any water, so she prepared for a loose strike. Without water, the water bending style was more designed for defense and redirecting attacks. Flat out attacking tended to be less powerful. She quickly took a defensive stance and, when the stallion launched a hoof at her, she went back into an unbreakable earth stance, taking the blow in her own hoof and forcing the energy back into his. He shrieked, eyes widening as pain shot through his hoof. She didn't stop though, switching from her earth stance into a fire stance. She stepped in close while he was disoriented and thrust a hoof into his chest, sending the stallion toppling backwards and sprawling out on the ground. Her movements were quick and powerful, allowing her to step over him and smack his head once against the floor, dazing him. She then jumped back. “Do you wish to try again?” Twilight asked, narrowing her eyes. “I may not be a bender, but don't think for a moment that makes me helpless.” “I... I... y-you'll pay for this!” the mare said, before quickly turning to gallop away. The stallion got up once his head cleared and followed after her, giving a fearful eye back at her. Once they were gone, Twilight took a deep breath and plopped down, sighing softly. “That was pretty impressive,” a voice said from behind her. She squeaked and whipped about, staring at Flash. “I-I was just--” “Oh, I know what you were doing. You probably shouldn't have. That was Jet Set and Upper Crust. They're both water benders.” The pegasus smiled at her. “Though, I won't deny it was pretty cool watching the two of them get what they deserved. That was an Earth Kingdom fighting style, right? Which one?” “It uhhh... the earth bending. Heavy rock or something is the name...” Twilight gulped nervously, wishing she'd spent more time learning the name of the style. Sadly, both her teachers focused more on the methodology, rather than the philosophy. “I-I picked it up from--” “No need. I understand,” Flash said with a chuckle. “Personally, I know a few of the pegasus styles myself. I didn't think a unicorn could use an earth pony style though, I figured you'd lack the strength.” Twilight's eyes narrowed. “Hey, I'm plenty strong, I...” The words trailed off as realizations dawned on her. She'd used those styles instantly, barely even pausing when switching between them. Her range of movement was returning! She felt a little sore, especially her head, but she had done the movements almost as easily as she had before. She realized a second later that the stallion was staring. “Oh, I mean. It's really not about strength, though. It's about being firm and well planted. Positioning your body in such a way so most the blow flows through the ground or their hooves. It wouldn't have worked if they'd used actual bending. They'd have cut right through me.” “Well, guess it's a good thing they didn't have water nearby. So ummm, just be careful. Are you feeling better?” “Very much so. I was just... I ate something I shouldn't have. I'm going to go home. Is class still going?” “Well, we have a break right now. How far do you live from here?” “Not far. I just...” Twilight looked at the stallion and sighed. She almost welcomed the assault. For those few moments, it was all crystal clear. The Water Nation had to be stopped, lest they destroy everything. No matter what the cost. He was making it unclear, again. “Want me to go with you? If we're fast, I should be able to fly back without getting in trouble.” “No! I'm... I'm fine. I just need to... I just want to be alone. Thank you,” she said before turning away and trotting off. He started to follow, but quickly stopped. She stepped outside and, once the cold day air enveloped her, she took off. She ran past the startled class ponies, ignoring their confused expressions and stares. She ran out from the yard, galloping back into the city and through the streets. Her muscles groaned in protest, angry at the sudden stress she placed on them, but she ignored it. If she could, she'd have torn off her clothing and taken to the air, leaving the city behind her. Unfortunately, she knew such a display would alert the city to her presence and she was in no shape to try to fight off the cities entire guard. Instead, she galloped past ponies, ignoring their startled or angry cries, dipping into alleys and down streets, as fewer and fewer ponies stood with her. Finally, she found herself alone on a street and, three streets later, was certain she would remain alone. She leaned against the nearest building and collapsed, looking around for any signs of life. As expected, each building seemed empty and barren, a few damaged with broken windows and crumbled doors. She closed her eyes and groaned. “Why can't it ever be easy? They're the enemy,” she whispered. “I know they're the enemy. I'm not destroying them, I'm saving them. Everypony. Once this war is over, they'll all be better off.” Those that survived, a soft voice said in the back of her head. “Not... not my problem. I... I can only do so much. I'm only one pony...” She drove a hoof down and shook her head. “I'm only one pony. They can't expect any more...” ------ Rarity stared at the contents of the crates with wide eyed confusion. Her sister stood besides her, an equally confused look on her eyes. “This is it?” “Uh huh...” Sweetie said softly, cocking her head to the side. “Mother said this was part of the destiny of the Water Nation.” “The destiny of the Water Nation is a rock?” the elder princess asked again, cocking an eyebrow. Over a dozen crates had been delivered, all holding rocks of varying size and unusually round shape. The largest of them were the size of three ponies. “Rocks,” the younger princess said with a nod. “Maybe mom has gone crazy?” Rarity managed to suppress a snicker at that. “Don't let her hear you say that, she'd tan your hide. I guess this is it though, let's get some ponies to move it.” She reached out and tapped one on the side, before letting out an annoyed sigh. It didn't make any sense to her. They were just rocks. Nice rocks, certainly, but rocks. They didn't even seem to have any jewels in them. Why have them shipped here, all the way from the Fire Tribe colonies, when they had so many other rocks? They had enough earth benders now that they could MAKE rocks like this. Getting them inside the palace and stored was easy, though she had no desire to return to the party yet. Instead, she looked to her sister and smiled. “So, any news from Flowerbloom or Scootaloo?” “No. I really thought Flowerbloom would have sent me a letter by now,” Sweetie said, slightly upset. The two, child hood friends of the princess, had left soon after they had returned to the city. With the avatar dead, Scootaloo had been chosen to work with the Shadowbolts in a temporary training tower made in the east, teaching the new recruits the basics before they were transported to the south pole. The other Shadowbolts were busy dealing with the nearest pirate attacks, so they lacked the time to deal with the basic training. Scootaloo was likely so busy she barely had time to eat, let alone send letters. Flowerbloom, on the other hoof, had headed home soon after arrival. She'd barely given more than a token wave before disappearing. Rarity couldn't imagine a single reason why the mare would have left, rather than remaining a treasured member of the court, but she remembered the young mare had seemed quite troubled when she departed. With a soft pang of guilt, the princess wondered if the earth pony had seen the corruption spreading through Sweetie and was unwilling to watch any more. “Maybe it's time you sent her a letter? You are her friend, after all. It's not solely her responsibility to write,” Rarity finally said. “I suppose,” the younger mare said with a sigh. “I'll... write one later.” “Tonight.” “But--” “No excuses. She's your friend and if you keep putting it off, it'll never be done.” The younger princess sighed and shook her head, looking annoyed. Rarity grinned and used her next trick to shake those thoughts. “How about I lend you Spike tonight? He can write, or so he tells me. You two can make a little slumber party of it.” The younger princess gasped and her eyes lit up with excitement. “That would be amazing! Will you come with us?” “Tonight? I'm afraid not.” She let out a soft yawn. “In fact, I think I'll head to bed once this party finishes. I am feeling quite tired. How about you come to my room after the party, and gather him?” “Okay,” Sweetie said with a happy nod, prancing along as they went. Rarity let out a soft sigh, unable to suppress the nervousness rising in her stomach. It was all ready now. Without Spike in the room, it would be the perfect night for her to put her plan into motion. She couldn't imagine facing the dragon if he had any inkling of what she intended. ------ Twilight stirred suddenly, shaking the drowsiness from her eyes. She didn't remember falling asleep, but she must have. She looked around, but saw no sign of any other pony. With a sigh, she slowly got to her hooves and shook her entire body, trying to shake off the discomfort that seemed to sink all the way into her bones. Her muscles protested after their earlier excitement, making her want to plop back down and take another nap. However, she knew better. She slowly began trotting through the city, heading straight to their temporary hideout. A few blocks later, she paused a second as the sound of something falling caught her attention. When she looked back all she saw was a small woven bowl tumbling through the street. “Just the wind,” she muttered to herself before walking again. “I'm back,” Twilight said once she arrived in the damaged building, her eyes widening slightly. Her arrival went completely unnoticed, as Rainbow was spinning through the air, performing one of her stories for the others. Sadly, Applejack was nowhere to be seen. “So, they thought they could do it too. Next thing I know, Coppertip is spinning out of control and catches both Hoofless AND Leadwing in his makeshift tornado. Meanwhile, we're all laughing our flanks off, watching them try to get out. Finally, Captain Razortone flies in and tries to dislodge them. For a few seconds he's going great, nearly gets Leadwing out. Then Coppertip comes spinning around and BAM! Clonks into both of them!” Rainbow had to land, she was laughing so hard. “Finally, we manage to start a rescue. Now, they're spinning so fast we can't just run in and grab them. At least, not without getting hurt. So we gather all the clouds we can and just toss them into the vortex. It starts slowing down and soon it comes to a complete stop. Everypony was dazed as could be, but Razortone had it worst of all,” Rainbow wiped a tear of laughter from her eye. “Hee hee. The clouds are all swirled together like an ice cream cone and there he is, buried on top with just his legs sticking out, like an angry, bucking cherry! Oh man, when we finally got him out, the words he used would have made the pirates blush.” “So I take it you've made friends?” Twilight asked once the laughter subsided. “Twilight! Where ya been?” the pegasus asked, grinning to the alicorn. “I was just telling a few stories about the new recruits. Heh, you should see the lot of them. Good kids, but practically helpless in the air. They--” “They're your friends then, right?” Twilight asked again, unable to keep the edge from her voice. “Err, well,” Rainbow mumbled, looking away. She shifted from hoof to hoof uneasily. “I-I wouldn't really call them friends. I mean, they're still Water Nation. Good guys but--” “Before this war is over, most of them will likely be doing everything they can to kill us. Can you really just say they're your friends?” “Twilight,” Pinkie said softly, though the alicorn shook her head. “No. I'm not mad. I... I'm sorry. It's just... Rainbow's right. Some of them are good ponies. No. I imagine most of them are. We just can't allow ourselves to get too attached. We have a... we have a war to help. They're the enemy. Have you been able to get any information?” “Well, I've gotten a little,” Rainbow said, relaxing once the subject changed. “The pirates have been attacking a bit from the southeast. Though, that could be a diversion. They've been hitting all the outlying villages. All the strongest unicorns in the nation are being brought back to the capital, so we won't have to worry about many benders until we get closer.” “Do you think they know about our plan?” Twilight asked nervously. “Maybe. As far as they know, you're dead. They've been celebrating and everything. The Water Nation seems to have something big in mind. Whatever it is, they don't mind leaving their outer cities weakened to do it.” “Wonderful. They...” Twilight froze, her head shooting up. “Rainbow, hide.” She darted to the door as the pegasus went flat against the wall. She waited a few seconds, before swinging it open. A unicorn stood a few feet from the door, in mid step and coming closer. The alicorn recognized her almost instantly, Upper Crust. The unicorn stared at them for a moment, before taking a step back. “I... I know who you are!” Twilight gulped. “W-wait, it's not what you think, we're--” “You're pirates! All of you, trying to infiltrate our city! Y-you can't get away with this!” A moment later the mare thrust her horn forward. The alicorn just stared in confusion, unable to guess what the mare had in mind. Then a wave of water came from above, drenching and knocking the alicorn back, allowing the mare to run. Rainbow peered out a moment later. “Want me to catch her? I can--” “No, don't,” Twilight said quickly. “Get back to your post. We'll hide.” She paused and glanced back to Pinkie and Fluttershy. “We'll try to get some supplies, then meet you outside the city. She shouldn't have enough time to cause much damage, so let's go. I'd rather not cause a bigger disturbance than we have to.” “But--” “Move it!” the alicorn hissed forcefully. “If we stay long we... we might have to fight them. I... I don't know if I can do that,” she whispered, her voice quivering. The pegasus watched her friend for a few moments. She then nodded. “Okay.” With that single word, she took off. Twilight looked back to the others and smiled as well. “Well... I uhhh... I guess we'd better be going. We've got... we've got to find what we can then get out of here. Pin--” “One step ahead of you, sister,” Pinkie said happily before trotting out ahead. The others followed her lead. She gave a soft glare towards the sky when she stepped outside. ------ The moon was beginning its slow ascent into the sky when Rarity returned to her room, forcing a smile as she gave Spike over to the tending of her little sister. She'd learned nothing more from the rest of the party and, unfortunately, all she seemed capable of finding were more questions. That, and a pounding headache thanks to more 'revolutionary dish washing inventions'. Without being able to find out the answers to the mystery, her mind continued to flow to the task at hoof. Once her sister was gone, as well as the dragon, she darted to her bed and pulled out a small box. Inside were a few small treasures. Metal hoof guards with soft, padded bottoms that would make her steps silent as a cats. A long ball and chain that attached to her tail, quite similar to one she had used so very long ago. The hoof guards went on, but the weapon, a tail-snapper, remained in the box. Instead she pulled out something new, something she'd never thought she'd have to use. Poisons. She pulled out the little glass jars holding different mixtures. Poisons had existed on the forefront of the Water Nation's battlements for centuries, though their application had been reduced in the last century. They had once been used to coat weapons of soldiers during war times, and used to keep truly dangerous prisoners in comatose states. Now, most non-benders had switched to methods of disabling bending, through set strike points. Most water benders barely used it any more, aside from those who had the capability to poison bend. A shiver ran down her spine as she remembered the last few months, the times she had used it. The raw hatred she had felt to allow her to use it, it felt cruel and slimy to her core, as if it not only physically changed the water, but altered her very soul with its use. She shook her head and tried to ignore such thoughts. The poisons she chose now had once been a staple of the kingdom. It wasn't the strongest, but it could be mixed with a few drops of water, allowing a bender to use it from a distance. It required accuracy though, as the target had to swallow it. Only really useful for sneak attacks, in which case a blade of ice would normally be more useful, and in today's Water Nation, more acceptable. Finding the correct mixture had been simple and she slowly pulled out a small vial of water and mixed a few drops of the purple liquid with it. Then, with a nervous sigh, she gripped the liquid in her magic and pulled it from the vial. She nervously gulped and turned to her door, shivering. “You don't have to do this, Rarity. T-there's no proof she's actually still alive.” The princess told herself, but she knew she had no choice. The nightmares wouldn't stop, she just hoped this would put an end to them and allow her to finally relax. She stepped out from her room and looked up and down the hall. The castle was lit by candles in every hall and guards continuously patrolled. When she was younger, they'd had guards stationed outside their rooms as well, but now her mother seemed to almost welcome assassination attempts. Rarity had been wise enough not to ask why. She slowly moved through the halls, her padded hoof shoes making only the faintest tap as she walked across the wooden floors. She held her breath, following slowly behind one of the patrols as they made their way through the castle. Her aunt's training was quite useful, allowing her to silently make it to her destination. Unfortunately, the halls were the easy part. She stopped around the corner from the large door she had seen before, the only door inside the building that held constant supervision. She now knew why and the mere thought sent a shiver down her spine. It would have been so easy to just shrug and run away, giving up on her mission, but she knew she couldn't. She looked up at the small amount of poisoned water hovering by her head, gently wiggling about as if it was alive. With a soft sigh, she steeled herself and leaned out. The two guards looked inattentive, barely even awake. She didn't blame them, none would dare enter their castles at night. Those who would, likely had no idea what terror lied behind those doors and would probably be more interested in finding her mother than a guarded prison. She watched the two and waited, watching the two for her opening. She kept her ears alert, in case any more patrols passed by, but focused her attentions on the guards. Unfortunately, her own drowsiness was starting to get the better of her and as the adrenaline began sinking from her body, she found herself struggling to stay awake. Then it happened, both the guards yawned at nearly the same time. The water shot out, straight into their open mouths, causing the guards to hack and cough, before dropping to the ground. She let out a sigh of relief and slowly made her way to their sides. She propped both of them against the wall, as if they'd merely taken a nap. She then stole the key from the nearer one and slid it into the door, freezing once the heavy lock clicked open. However, she didn't hear any pony coming towards her, so she quickly stepped inside and closed the door behind her. A single lit torch stood at the top, magically lit so it wouldn't have to be replaced. With a nervous gulp she took it in her magic and then looked down. The plain, white stones that made up the steps descended deep into the darkness, as if they were swallowed. Considering what awaited her, she found it to be an apt description. She took one deep breath and began walking down. Each step filled her with more and more dread, until the only thing keeping her going was the momentum of each step. She dared not pause for a second, lest she turn and run for her life, screaming like a filly. It was far too late now to turn back. It felt like hours had passed when she made it to the bottom of the steps, though she doubted it had been more than a few minutes. Aside from it being a large chamber, she couldn't tell anything else from the dim torch light. The darkness seemed to swallow the light, forcing her to nervously tip toe forward. “H-hello?” she called out. For a few seconds, there was no response and she readied herself to turn and run. “Rarrrrrrrrity,” a loud voice hissed, causing her to fling the torch up in fright. It went out as it clattered to the floor, enveloping the room in darkness and leaving her alone, helpless with the terror that resided within. Glowing green eyes with red irises stared at her through the darkness, slowly shifting from side to side, though not coming any closer. Rarity sat there, panting with fear as her hooves poked around for the dropped torch. Once she found it and held it up again, the flame instantly rekindled. The eyes seemed to disappear in the light, though she knew they were still there. Watching her. “H-hello... creature. I... I've come to... to give you a task,” she said, though try as she might she couldn't keep the tremble from her voice. “Princessssssss,” the voice hissed. “Cooooooome.” She gulped and slowly stepped forward, revealing a huge black crystal, easily the size of five ponies, surrounded by a dozen small ones. A prison matrix, simple to break. From the outside. The green eyes glowed from within, watching her. She took a deep breath. “The... the avatar may still yet live. I want... I want you to find, and kill her. I-I offer you your freedom.” “Freeeeeedom?” the beast asked, before letting out a low cackle that sent shivers down her spine. “Avaaaaaatar?” “Y-yes. The avatar. All you have to do is find, and kill her. I'm sure for... for a thing such as you, it would be simple.” The eyes disappeared, making her jump. A moment later a unicorn's face appeared, a cruel grin spread across its gray cheeks. It's horn stuck out from a black base, blood red and terrifying for her to look at, though she couldn't help but eye it. She took a step back, dread filling her, though the beast just stared at her. “I... I know what you are,” Rarity whispered softly. “A-abomination. I know y-you can't hurt me. I know you won't.” It chuckled softly, sending another chill down her spine. “Then why.... ssssssscared?” It asked. Its eyes twinkled with an almost familiar mirth, sending even more chills down her spine. “Because... I-I'm not scared. I'm--” “Liarrrrrrrr,” it said again, leaning forward. “Naaaaaaaame.” “My name is Rarity. You know--” “Miiiiiiiine.” She froze in place before shaking her head. “Y-you know your name. There is no reason to--” “SAY IT!” the creature roared, rattling the walls themselves. She froze and whimpered, certain that such a powerful call had awoken the guards above. But, after a few moments she let out a breath of relief. She then stared at him and shook her head. “You're a creature. A monster. An echo of that pony. I will not... will not call you by that name,” she said, her voice getting softer with every word. The creature frowned, before disappearing into the crystal. She waited, but it didn't return. “Creature? Where are you? Come back!” It didn't respond, filling her with more dread. Finally, she stepped forward and placed a hoof to the cold, black crystal. “Don't you desire your freedom? A chance to escape this prison?” Still, it refused to respond. Wish a soft sigh she lowered her head and took a deep breath. “Very... v-very well. As... as you wish. Sombra.” Just saying the word sent a chill down her back and made her voice crack, tears welling into her eyes. The creature reappeared, a wicked, heartless grin on its face. “Nooooooo. Whaaaaaat youuuuuu calllllled meeeeee,” Sombra hissed. She shivered and the tears began to fall down her face. “V-very well. If... if I do this, you swear to d-destroy t-the avatar?” “Yesssss...” She lowered her head and bit her lip. “F...father.” The word cut through her like a blade and the cackles that the beast released only made it worse. “The avaaaaaatar willlll fallllll!” Sombra roared, swirling around in a black fog, waiting. Rarity trembled and stared up at the beast. With a single shove, she knocked aside the smallest crystal in the prison, disrupting the matrix and causing a long, narrow crack to form in the one housing the creature. She then turned to leave, trying to ignore the sounds of the black mist escaping. She trotted up through the stairs, placed the torch back where it belonged and left the room and key as she had found it. She'd even been nice enough to smack the guards with a whip of water, startling and waking them up and disappearing before they had any idea what happened. If they were wise, they'd tell nopony of how they had fallen asleep at their posts. Though she'd already been quite tired, the descent into that abyss made her feel ten times as exhausted. She collapsed into her bed, barely taking a few seconds to remove and hide her equipment again. As her eyes closed, she prayed that she would be allowed a dreamless sleep.