December 14, 2:51 PM
Canterlot
Crystal Mines
***
In hindsight, maybe teleporting here wasn't such a good idea. As soon as I opened my eyes, I found myself surrounded in a heavy shroud of darkness. Quickly, I cast an illumination spell, and sure enough, all of the crystals lining the walls lit up and sparkled. However, I had no way of knowing exactly where we were or which way to go.
"Uh, Twi? Is this the right place?" Spike asked nervously as he slid off of my back.
"It should be," I said. "These mines were used by overly-ambitious unicorns back when Canterlot was first founded, but they were abandoned long ago. If Mare-Do-Well is in Canterlot, there's no other place she could mean."
"I-I guess," said Spike, scratching his head. "But how do you know about it?"
"Remember what happened when I confronted Queen Chrysalis during the rehearsal of Shining and Cadence's wedding?" I said.
"Um, kinda."
"After that happened, Chrysalis sent me here to get me out of the way. This is also where she was keeping Cadence."
"Ah, okay. That makes sense," said Spike with a nod. "So, what? You know your way around here, then?"
"I know how to get back to the surface, yes," I said, looking around. "But that'll have to wait until after we find Mare-Do-Well and her impostor."
"Yeah, I've actually been wondering about that," said Spike. "How are we gonna be able to tell the real one from the fake?"
That's actually a very good question. Fortunately, however, I believe I have an answer.
"Well, if you'll recall, we found two different blood samples in Pine Talon's cell," I said, knitting my brow. "One sample only contained the ingredients of a pegasus ponunculus; the other had traits of all three pony tribes."
"I thought you said that didn't make sense," said Spike, raising an eyebrow.
"It doesn't. But we can't just ignore the evidence, either," I said. "Anyway, if that's the case, then we simply need to compare their physical structure. The pegasus is the real Mare-Do-Well; the alicorn is the impostor."
Spike folded his arms and nodded. "Okay, yeah. That makes sense," he said. "Geeze, when you think about it, our impostor isn't really good at her job, is she?"
"Not necessarily, Spike," I said, tapping my muzzle thoughtfully. "Mare-Do-Well's costume comes with a hat, which is the perfect way to hide a unicorn horn. Plus, we know that she has access to the musical magic of the Kurama Tengu. Since she doesn't need her horn to perform magic, she doesn't run the risk of revealing her true identity."
"So, let me get this straight," said Spike. "We just stumble upon them duking it out, take off their hats, and if one of them has a horn, we beat her up."
"There was probably a more eloquent way of putting that, Spike," I said sheepishly. "But yes, that is the basic idea."
"Alright, cool. Next question. How do we find them?"
I clicked my tongue and took in a sharp breath through my teeth. "Um, yeah. That's, gonna be the tricky part. Even if we had a map of this place, we have no idea where either of them are, or even if they're together."
"Well, if Mare-Do-Well took the time to give you that note, she might not even be here yet," said Spike with a shrug. "Maybe we should just wait on her."
I furrowed my brow. It's true that Mare-Do-Well couldn't have gotten here ahead of me if she left me that note back at the castle. However, we didn't exactly establish a meeting place, so it would probably take her a while to find us. And honestly, I don't like the idea of sitting around and doing nothing.
Wait a minute. That brings up another interesting point.
"Hang on, Spike. I think you might be onto something," I said. "If Mare-Do-Well knew that her doppelgänger was here, why did she take the time to tell me instead of pursuing her?"
Spike shrugged again. "Beast me. I mean, you know her better than I do."
"Yes, and I know that she wouldn't do something like that," I said frankly. "In fact, all of her actions thus far have been highly out of the ordinary. That is, if they even are her actions."
Spike tilted his head. "What do you mean by that, Twi?"
"Kibitz might not be wrong about this being a trap," I explained. "Granted, it's not exactly a good trap. I can just teleport us out of here whenever I want, and even if I couldn't for some reason, I remember the way back to the surface. Nevertheless, that doesn't change the fact that we're dealing with somepony disguised as a friend. It just makes sense for her to take advantage of that and try to trip us up."
Spike's eyes widened. "Wait, if that's true, then how do we know that first note we got at the Gala wasn't from the impostor, too?"
"That's just it, Spike. We don't," I said, utilizing Cadence's breathing technique. "And trust me, I don't like the implications of that any more than you do. But it won't help to get paranoid. If anything, that just might be what the culprit wants to happen."
"So, what're we gonna do then?" asked Spike.
"Only one pony has the answers to all of this, and that pony is Mare-Do-Well," I said firmly. "Which means we're gonna go find her. We should try at the entrance. C'mon."
"Alright, alright," said Spike, hopping back onto my back. "Just, let me brace myself before you teleport again, okay?"
I shook my head. "No. We're hoofing it this time. I don't want to run the risk of zooming right past her. And that means I need you to keep on the lookout, got it?"
Spike nodded. "Got it, Twi. Okay, let's go! Um, you did say that you knew which way to go, right?"
I quickly surveyed the crystal formation around us. Hmm. Nothing really sticks out to me about this cavern. It might not even be part of the route Cadence and I took to get back. But then, I noticed the faint glow of lanterns somewhere off in the distance. That could be an indication that there are mine cart tracks down that way. And if that's the case, we should be on the right track (er, no pun intended).
"It should be this way," I said, pointing with my hoof. "Hold on tight, Spike!"
With that, I broke into a gallop and headed towards the lanterns.
***
It took a while, but it turns out my hypothesis was correct. The lanterns did lead to a network of mine cart tracks. And wouldn't you know it? There was also a mine cart parked there and waiting to be used. Using my magic, I levitated Spike into the cart and pushed it. To my surprise, it didn't take that much effort to get the mine cart moving. I guess with everypony making a big deal about my wings, it's easy to forget that alicorns also have the strength of Earth Ponies. That and I never was all that physically active. I wouldn't exactly call myself out of shape, but I do prefer to use my brains rather than my brawn.
I climbed into the mine cart with Spike and kept my horn illuminated. As soon as I was situated, Spike climbed up my back and peeked his head over my shoulder. While he kept his eyes peeled for Mare-Do-Well or anything else suspicious, I focused on the track ahead. While I'm not all that familiar with these rails, I do remember the spiraling track Cadence and I took back during my brother's wedding. If I can somehow find that particular track, we'll be that much closer to the entrance. Honestly, though, that's easier said than done.
We rode the mine cart deeper and deeper into the winding catacombs. Whenever we got to a switcher, I made sure to go in a direction that at least looked somewhat familiar. I'll be the first to admit that this wasn't an ideal method, as a good chunk of the tunnels all looked the same. Nevertheless, it's important to persevere in these situations, and at least we weren't leaving things entirely to chance. Although I still have to wonder how big this place really is. These tunnels seem to go on forever. It's like a maze. Heck, I'm actually starting to lose track of the time we've spent down here.
"Twi! Look over there!"
I perked up and used my magic to apply the breaks on the mine cart. I then turned my head to where Spike was pointing. Sure enough, the telltale silhouette of Mare-Do-Well was being reflected off the lanterns that lined the caverns. Before I could call out to her, she disappeared into the shadows.
"Good call, Spike!" I said, adjusting the switcher ahead. "C'mon, let's keep moving!"
With a burst of magic, I propelled the cart forward. We turned sharply onto the switched track, only to find another labyrinth waiting for us. I'm beginning to see why this place was abandoned. It's too easy to get lost down here, thus you wouldn't be able to put any gems you find to good use. This time, however, we had a better guide than educated guesses. At every switcher, we could hear peculiar sounds echoing from one of the tunnels. It was a bit faint, but from what I could tell, most of the sounds did involve some sort of eerie melody. I can only presume that Mare-Do-Well and her impostor have met, and the impostor is using the dark magic of the Kurama Tengu. We followed the sounds the best we can, making turn after turn after turn.
Finally, after one last turn, we were sent into a large dive. At the end of the dive, the mine cart rammed into a buffer, and we were thrown clear. Thinking quickly, I used my wings to glide through the air while Spike grabbed my leg and held on for dear life. I couldn't help but feel a wave of nostalgia. The exact same thing happened to me and Cadence back when we were trapped in the mines.
When we landed, we were treated to a disconcerting sight. Mare-Do-Well stood over another pony with her wings outstretched. The pony in question was like nothing I had ever seen before. She had no Cutie Mark, no mane, and no tail. In fact, I'm not even sure if she had any hair on her body at all, aside from a pair of inexplicable eyelashes. Her whitish-grey skin was smooth and solid, with the exception of a few cracks and bruises. It was like staring at a vandalized statue. Only her wings appeared to be natural, although several of the feathers were incredibly molted and damaged. She was also hiding something underneath her hooves. Something glowing.
"Ah, Princess Twilight. It's good to see you," said Mare-Do-Well, turning to me.
"Likewise, I suppose," I said, mainly because I couldn't think of anything else to say. I then turned my attention to the quivering mass that was the abnormal pony. "Um, who's this?"
"Why, my impostor, of course," said Mare-Do-Well. "I just managed to apprehend her. She won't be a threat to anypony anymore."
I took another look at the abnormal pony. With only a cursory glance, I could tell that her head was completely bald. She had no horn to speak of. I turned back to Mare-Do-Well and narrowed my eyes.
"How do we know you're telling the truth?" I inquired.
Mare-Do-Well tilted her head. "Why, Princess Twilight. I'm appalled," she said, appearing to be offended. "Don't you trust me?"
"I want to," I said earnestly. "Which is why I'm asking you to take off your hat."
Mare-Do-Well continued giving me an curious look. "My hat? Why?"
"If you want me to trust you, you should have no problem doing that," I said. "Unless, of course, you have something to hide under there."
Mare-Do-Well sighed. "Fine, fine. I suppose you're right to be skeptical. Though I'm not entirely clear why you think this is an appropriate test."
With that, she took off her wide-brimmed hat is a swift, fluid motion. My eyes nearly popped out of my skull. She didn't have a horn, either. B-but that doesn't make sense! The impostor is supposed to be an alicorn! Why do neither of them have horns?! And furthermore, what do we do now?! There's no way to tell them apart! Well, except for the fact that one is wearing her costume and the other is naked, but that could mean anything!
"Are you alright, Princess Twilight?" asked Mare-Do-Well. "You seem a bit, shaken."
I took a moment to use Cadence's breathing technique again and collect myself.
"Sorry," I said. "I-it's nothing." I turned my attention back to the naked ponunculus. "So, this is the impostor, huh?"
"I advise you to stay away from her," said Mare-Do-Well sternly. "There's no telling what a cornered beast might do."
"I can handle myself, thank you," I said. Spike and I approached the ponunculus, and I cleared my throat. Slowly, the ponunculus looked up and stared at me with baby blue eyes. Silver streaks decorated her retina, and it took me a second to realize that they were bloodshot. Hmm. This is quite curious indeed.
"She doesn't seem all that threatening to me," said Spike with a shrug.
"Apparences can be deceiving, young dragon," Mare-Do-Well stated coldly. "If you so much as let her, she will try to destroy you."
I looked at Mare-Do-Well and arched an eyebrow. "Didn't you just say you made sure she wouldn't be a threat to anypony?"
"And she won't be," said Mare-Do-Well simply. "Just so long as we don't give her a chance to backstab us."
"So, what? We just leave her here?" I asked.
"That would be the best course of action, yes," said Mare-Do-Well.
That didn't sound right to me. "I had no idea you were so cold," I stated plainly.
"Trust me, Princess Twilight. If you knew what this pony was capable of, and if you had to endure what I have endured, you'd feel the same way," said Mare-Do-Well.
That would require knowing what she had to endure. And even then, I'm not sure if she's right. I turned to the other ponunculus.
"Do you have anything to say for yourself?" I asked.
The ponunculus said nothing. She didn't even so much as shake her head or scoff at my question. She just stared at me like a lost puppy dog.
"I, guess we can take that as a 'no,'" said Spike. "So, what now, Twi?"
"There's only one sensible thing to do," I said. "She must stand trial for her crimes against Equestria."
Mare-Do-Well gave me a quizzical look. "Are you sure you want to do that, Princess Twilight?" she inquired.
"I'm sure," I said without hesitation. "It's the only way we're going to tie up all the loose ends in this mystery."
Mare-Do-Well shrugged. "Well, if you say so. But don't say I didn't warn you."
Huh. I was sure she was gonna fight me on this, but apparently not. Is it because she respects my decision, or does she have something else planned? Honestly, both possibilities are valid. It's not like my brother's wedding when I knew Chrysalis was up to no good. I really have no idea what's going on in Mare-Do-Well's head right now, or even if it really is her. But that's all the more reason we have to bring this to court and find the truth.
"Alright, you. Get up," I said to the ponunculus.
The ponunculus complied, staggering a bit as she got to her feet. I noticed that the glowing object she was hiding was her ponunculus core. When I got a good look at it, I cringed. This is probably the most badly damaged ponunculus core I've ever seen. Cracks littered the vial, and at least half of the luminescent liquid was gone. Not only did she take a beating, but she lost a lot of blood.
"Yeesh," I said. "Mare-Do-Well, what did you do to her?"
Mare-Do-Well obscured her eyes with her hat. "I, apologize for that. I just lost control in our fight, that's all."
I sighed. "Well, try not to make a habit out of it."
"It, wasn't my intention," said Mare-Do-Well sadly. "Again, I apologize."
"Alright," I said. "Spike, brace yourself. I'm gonna teleport us back to the castle."
"You sure you can do that from here?" asked Spike.
Hmm. Now that he mentions it, that's actually a good point. I might be able to handle longer distances now that I'm an alicorn, but we don't know how deep we are in these catacombs. We'd better play it safe and just teleport to the entrance of the mines.
"Alright, I'll shorten the teleportation distance," I said. "But as soon as we get to the surface, we're going straight to Canterlot Castle."
"You got it," said Spike, leaping onto my back.
I took one last look at the two ponunculi before me as I prepared my spell. The damaged one hasn't said a word since we found her. What could that mean? Actually, that's just one of many questions I have right now. And if I'm going to get any answers, I need to have one or both of them take the stand. Even if Mare-Do-Well is who she claims to be, that shouldn't exempt her from explaining herself. Especially since all of the other investigations are apparently wild goose chases.
Well, whatever the case may be, we're getting close to the endgame here. And no matter what the impostor has up her sleeve, nothing will deter me from finding the truth.