//------------------------------// // A Lot At Stake // Story: The Dead Stallion's Hand // by Lord Zalgo //------------------------------// "Phoenix, dear? Where are we?" Rarity asked when she and Phoenix regained consciousness. "Just a second, Rarity. I'm trying to pull a Hoofdini here." Phoenix replied as he continued to try to wriggle free from his bonds. "The last thing I remember was a pair of glowing red eyes before... unimaginable pain." Rarity said with difficulty as her eyes met her own bandaged neck. Phoenix turned to her with empathy in his eyes. "Unimaginable for most." Phoenix replied softly. Rarity looked back at him and remembered that his neck was bandaged too. "Oh. I'm sorry, darling. What happened to us?" Rarity asked. Phoenix stopped struggling to give her his full attention. "I don't know everything, but the mare who took us seems to be some kind of vampire. She weakened us by taking our blood before knocking us out." Phoenix said. "Well, she took me while I was sleeping. I woke up and then... How did she get you? I thought you were untouchable to nearly everypony." Rarity said in mild surprise. "I couldn't read her mind. The only other pony I know that I can't read is Cognito and that's only because he can read-... Oh." Phoenix stopped suddenly. "Phoenix? What is it?" Rarity asked. "The only reason I can't read Cognito's mind is because he has the abnormality in his brain that allows him to read minds. I think that vampire has the ability to read minds. Whether she knows how to or not, I don't know." Phoenix explained. "So, if you were to fight her, you wouldn't be able to predict her moves like you do everypony else?" Rarity asked with a hint of worry. "Nah, I was able to predict moves before I could read minds. I'll be alright. Say... What did you mean by untouchable by 'nearly everypony'?" Phoenix asked. Rarity suddenly giggled. "Well, Applejack can touch you, can she not?" Rarity asked with a smirk. Phoenix's face took on a slight red hue as he gave a soft glare. "...No comment. Hey, Rarity, you're definitely slimmer than I am. Can you see if you can wiggle free from your bonds?" Phoenix asked. Rarity nodded before beginning to wiggle her body as the ropes seems to move with her, albeit loosely. "Phoenix! I... I think I can get my hoof loose!" Rarity said excitedly. "Nice one! See if you can do it." Phoenix replied supportively. Rarity continued to struggle for about a minute before her forehoof shot out from the top of the bindings and immediately removed the magic lock on her horn. She then used her magic to unbind the ropes around her and Phoenix, who proceeded to remove his magic lock too. "That was brilliant, Rarity. Now you can ask me your original question." Phoenix said. "Um... I don't seem to remember it." Rarity replied. "Where the hell are we?" Phoenix asked rhetorically as he looked around at the crystalline walls. Phoenix and Rarity continued to wander through the crystalline cave, growing evermore lost as everything looked the same. "Phoenix dear, sorry to sound like I'm complaining, but do you have any inclination as to where we're going?" Rarity asked, trying to sound like she wasn't annoyed or worried. "I was going to try to find a way out of here, but I can sense somepony else down here somewhere." Phoenix replied. "Oh. Do you know who it is?" Rarity replied. Phoenix didn't reply for a moment. "...Nopony I recognise. But, we can't leave her here." Phoenix replied. "'Her'?" Rarity asked. Phoenix looked around before walking towards one of the walls of crystal. He raised his hoof and tapped the wall three times in succession. Rarity jumped in surprise when she heard three knocks in the same rhythm, seemingly replying to him. "Stand back!" Phoenix shouted before his horn began to glow. Seconds later, a fireball shot from Phoenix's horn and it exploded on contact with the wall of crystal, reducing it to mere shards. Behind the wall, cowering from shock, was a mare. But, no ordinary mare. She was an alicorn. While she didn't seem as tall as Celestia, Faust, Zalgo or even Luna; she was definitely taller than both Phoenix and Rarity. She had a bright pink coat, pink wings while the tips of her feathers were purple and purple eyes. Her mane and tale, while complete disarray; were a mix of three colours: dark purple, dark pink and beige. Her cutie mark depicted a heart made of a type of blue crystal. "A... princess?" Rarity asked in surprise, due to the mare's anatomy. The mare stopped cowering to see the two ponies watching her, before she shakily stood and wrapped her hooves around them weakly. "Thank you... I didn't how long it would be before somepony found me." The mare said weakly, yet gratefully. Phoenix then put his hoof to her forehead as his horn began to glow once more. "Reviviscat." Phoenix said. Suddenly, the mare felt a warmth overcome her body and all the pain and discomfort she was in faded away. "Feeling better?" Phoenix asked. The mare took a few seconds to recover from her shock. "Y...Yes, I am!" The mare exclaimed in pleasant surprise. "Good, 'cause I'm not." Phoenix said with a grimace as he put one of his forehooves to his forehead. "Phoenix, are you alright?" Rarity asked in worry. "I'll be fine. That's the spell that really takes it out of me." Phoenix replied. "Yes, I'd been meaning to ask, where did you learn these new spells?" Rarity asked. "Starswirl the Bearded is in Elysium." Phoenix replied simply as his headache was beginning to subside. "So, who are you?" Phoenix asked the mare. "I'm Princess Cadence. An imposter's taken my place and the wedding is a plot for something!" Cadence exclaimed. Rarity and Phoenix looked at her with blank expressions. They looked at each other for a second before returning their attention to Cadence. "Wedding?" The pair asked simultaniously. "...How did you not know about the wedding?" Cadence asked. "We were taken here as well. We haven't exactly been keeping up with hot gossip and who's marrying whom." Phoenix replied dryly. "...Well, it doesn't matter! We've got to stop the imposter!" Cadence said urgently. "Agreed. Phoenix, do you know the way out?" Rarity asked. Before Phoenix could answer a ring of green flames emerged onto the ground near the trio. As the flames subsided, the only thing that remained was an unconcious, but otherwise unharmed Twilight Sparkle. "Twilight!" Cadence and Rarity exclaimed as Phoenix rushed over to check her vital signs. "She's alright. Her vitals are normal. She's just taking a little snooze." Phoenix said soothingly before lifting her onto his back. "Well, I may not be as skilled at magic as other unicorns, but I think I could teleport us out of here." Cadence said, quite unsure about her suggestion. "Couldn't you have done so already, then?" Rarity asked. "I was too weak. Luckily that spell your friend performed on me has given me enough power to do this." Cadence replied. "It's the best plan we have. Let's do it." Phoenix said as they all gathered close to Cadence. Cadence clenched her eyes as she focused on a specific location. Once she had a mental image of Canterlot Castle, she activated the spell and the group disappeared in an instant. The group appeared outside a darkened alleyway as night had fallen over the city of Canterlot. "Well, it's not the castle, but it's definitely an improvement to the cavern. Nicely done, Princess." Phoenix said approvingly. "Just 'Cadence' will do, thank you." Cadence replied kindly, albiet tiredly. Phoenix was about to ask if everypony was alright, but suddenly he clutched at his eyes, as if they were burning or irritating. "Phoenix? What is it?!" Rarity asked worriedly as she placed her forehooves on his shoulders. "My eyes feel strange. ...My body feels strange." Phoenix replied, worry beginning to fill his voice. "How so, darling?" Rarity asked as Phoenix gently set Twilight down. "It's like I can... sense... warmth. It's like I can sense... your blood." Phoenix replied, having a hard time explaining it. "Our blood?" Cadence asked curiously. Phoenix looked over to the street where he could see other ponies walking by. He could sense their warmth as well. until he sensed somepony who wasn't as warm as everypony else. He looked over and saw Valliere walking with everypony else. Phoenix's eyes widened before narrowing in determination. "Get me something wooden. Quickly!" Phoenix instructed. Rarity quickly handed him a plank of wood, which Phoenix snapped to a sharpend edge and began to follow Valliere, Rarity and Cadence in tow with Twilight on Cadence's back. Suddenly, as the group Valliere was in began to disperse, Phoenix launched the stake at Valliere and it impaled her straight through her back and through her heart. She gasped in shock as she remained frozen to the spot. However, Phoenix's smirk was short-lived as Valliere turned around and pulled the stake out casually. Her wound healed nearly instantly. "Nice try." Valliere replied amusedly as she launched the stake back, impaling Phoenix straight through his heart, sending him flying backwards. "PHOENIX!!" Rarity screamed as she ran to his side as he lay on the cold ground. Valliere however, suddenly transformed into a swarm of bats and flew away into the night. Phoenix suddenly got over his shock as his looked down at the stake and pulled it out with his magic. His wound healed nearly instantly. "That... That pierced my heart. I-I felt it. What the hell's going on?" Phoenix asked rhetorically in complete shock. "Phoenix, dear?" Rarity said, trembling in fear. Phoenix looked at her, only to be confused at her fear. "Your eyes have turned red, darling." Rarity said fearfully.