//------------------------------// // Chapter 19 // Story: Becoming Twilight // by RandomGreymane //------------------------------// Becoming Twilight - Chapter 19                by RandomGreymane (Mike Hebel)         Twilight waited a day before breaking the news to the rest of her friends that there was one remaining spider to be confronted.  Thanks to the sharing of Rarity’s memory, the reaction to the news was mostly positive.  Rainbow Dash was the most hesitant - the delusion of her wings being ripped off still holding an icy grip on her heart.         Noticing her reaction, Celestia took Rainbow aside.  “I can’t help but notice that you’re a little...off your game?” she said to Rainbow Dash.  Her face was marked with signs of concern as she spoke.         “Stupid spider.” Rainbow Dash said sullenly.  “Those visions or whatever have got me all freaked out!”         “Understandable.” said Luna as she overheard the conversation.  “Would thine like some thoughts to comfort thee?”         “Thee wou...I mean, I, would!”  Rainbow Dash said.  Her face perked up as she regarded the dark blue alicorn in front of her.         “In all my studies of ponies over the eons there are some things that I have found.” Luna said, her voice taking on almost the tone of a professor giving a lecture.  “Pegasi for instance, despite being incredibly light, are also incredibly tough.  The stress that thou put on thy joints when thy perform thine rainboom should in theory rip thine to shreds.  But it doesn’t.  Now isn’t that interesting?”         “Umm...I suppose so...” Rainbow Dash said.         “Rainbow...“ Celestia said while raising a hoof to Luna to momentarily stop her from talking. “What Luna is trying to say is that despite the fears you have, there are very few things that can tear the wings off a pegasus.  I won’t lie, in all the time I’ve been in this world I have seen it.  It HAS happened.  But the times are so few, and so long ago, that I do not recall them in much detail.”         Brushing her sister’s hoof from her face, Luna continued. “What I was attempting to tell thee, before mine sister did shove her dusty hoof in my face, was that the spiders do not under normal conditions possess the strength to remove thine wings.  If that doth not ease thy fears consider this further fact; the Element of Loyalty aside, you are physically faster than any pegasus in the present.  That alone make thine wings stronger than most.  Add the strength the elements lend to thee and the chances that something will rip thine wings from thine body become exceedingly remote!”         Rainbow stood and stared at the floor as she considered the lunar princess’s words.  With a twitch she shook her head sharply as if chasing away a chill.  When she raised her head again her eyes had regained their original flare of light and laughter.  “Awesome!” she exclaimed.  “So what I think you’re telling me is that I’m indestructible right?  Indestructible Dash!  Ooooh yeah!”         “Well not quite...” Celestia started to say before Rainbow Dash cut her off.         “Indestructible!” she exclaimed again.  “Thanks!” she said as she headed back to her friends. “Guess who’s indestructible!” she said to them proudly.         Don’t worry about it too much Tia. Twilight projected to her sister princesses.  I recognize this reaction.  It lasts almost exactly 14.7 minutes. she finished with a mental chuckle.         True to form, Rainbow Dash ran down about her ‘Awesome Indestructibility” almost to the second that Twilight predicted.  Once that cycle finished, Twilight called them all together to plan.         “With Luna’s help I’ve located the last spider.” Twilight said as she laid a map of the city onto the table. “It’s surprisingly close to the park and in an abandoned subway tunnel.  As best as we can determine it’s an abandoned station along this line.”  She pointed her hoof at the track on the map where she had placed a circle.         “So what’s the plan sugarcube?” Applejack asked. “I vote we go in and buck this critter right outta the city!”         “Unfortunately....” said Twilight. “we are going to have to likely destroy it.  I didn’t want it to come to that but the spell we used before won’t work now that we aren’t afraid of it, thank you Rarity, and it’s the largest one yet so it’s likely more resistant than the others.”         Fluttershy interjected. “I don’t care. I mean...normally I would.  I...I just can’t get it of my head!  I’m ashamed because I was so HAPPY when I felt Rarity kill that spider in her memory.  Oh Twilight is that wrong?”         “Not a bit Fluttershy.” said Twilight as she approached and hugged Fluttershy. “Not one bit.”         “I still feel ashamed...” Fluttershy continued softly.         “My dear sister” said Celestia as she embraced the butter colored pegasus with her wing. “there are some monsters that need to be destroyed.  I’ve given so many many second chances over the years...  Eventually I learned that sometimes second chances are all used up before you get them.  Don’t trouble yourself about this one Fluttershy.  It’s perfectly normal.”         This seemed to reassure Fluttershy and she relaxed still under Celestia’s wing.  Seeing this, Twilight resumed speaking.         “That said, it seems prudent to up our arsenal.”  Moving back to the map she continued. “I think Applejack has the right idea here.  Going over Rarity’s memory it’s obvious that the spiders have issues with iron and steel.  Rarity, we have simple steel shoes in the hold.  Do you think you can work them into something a little less obvious?  Our invisibility doesn’t work against the spiders so no point in using that.  That means we’ll be visible. At least initially that is.  I just don’t want the pony populace, even the few at night, asking questions.”         “Like ‘Where are y’all going in steel stompers?’” Applejack remarked.         “Exactly!” Twilight affirmed.  “Rarity?”         “Darling I have just spent more time working with steel than I ever thought I’d do in a thousand years! I think I can come up with something.” Rarity replied with a wink. ===================================================================================================         Surprising nopony, and in a relatively short period of time, Rarity bent the steel shoes to her will and soon had a pair for everypony.  To everypony’s surprise, the shoes blended in with their hooves almost completely so as to be unnoticed.         “I took the idea from the spiders.” Rarity said when she saw the surprise on everypony’s face.  “And the existing invisibility spell already muffles the hooves.  Though Princess Luna tells me that as the shoes are made of steel the magick is less effective at keeping them discreet.”         “Regardless, where we are headed we don’t have to be invisible this time.” said Twilight as she clicked a hoof against the floor to hear how it sounded.  “Just...unremarkable.”         “My dear Twilight while I commend thine thoughts and even echo them,” said Luna with a wide smile, “I do not believe that would be in ANY way possible with this ensemble.”         Twilight chuckled. “I guess we’ve gone beyond that haven’t we...” she said.         “You and your sisters are truly becoming the Defenders of Equestria.” Celestia replied. “In time, like it or not, your names and faces will be known far and wide.  Do not doubt that you will have to eventually seek quiet moments in solitude as the days pass.”         “Them’s mighty weighty words prin...Tia.” said Applejack. “A’hm thinkin we might not want to be removing those invisibility spells any time soon.”         “Indeed.” said Luna. “We shall discuss long term side effects on the return trip.”         “Side...effects?” said Rainbow Dash.  “Like what?”         “A topic for a later time Rainbow.” Twilight replied.  “For now we need to get moving.  While not nocturnal, we will generate less of a stir in the city if we walk to the park for say...an alfresco dinner?”         “That sounds like an excellent idea.” Celestia said in agreement. “It also gives us an excuse to bring some of the royal guard with us in the guise of servants.  They will be useful in keeping the random city-dweller from lingering too long.  I have even taken the liberty of revisiting the mayor so that Twilight will not be required to teleport police-ponies into the bay again.”         “Hey!” Twilight objected. “I landed each and every one of those ponies on the docks!”         “Except the officer you confronted.”  Applejack said under her breath.  “Ow!” she exclaimed as a rainbow colored pegasus kicked her in the shins.         “Regardless it shall not be an issue henceforth.” Luna said.  “The police force is now informed of what we intend to do with this night’s excursion.  Though please say nothing more as they do not know what hath previously occurred.”         With that, the preparations began in earnest.  Celestia and Luna wrangled the royal guard while Twilight made preparations for  the evening’s “entertainment”.  Rarity begged off saying that she had something to take care of. She asked directions of one of the royal guards before heading off into the city.         Applejack and Rainbow Dash spent spent some of the time hoof-wrestling before Applejack overheard one of the younger guards grumbling about having to lift and carry.  It wasn’t long before she and Rainbow Dash were competing on how badly they could out-do the guard’s efforts.  By the time it was time to leave, several bits had exchanged hooves between the older guards and a very proud pair of ponies sat laughing with the younger guard as they rested against the boxes piled in the back of a wagon.         By that time Rarity had returned.  She immediately pushed a package into Rainbow Dash’s hooves.  “Something to wear for tonight’s dinner party darling!” she said with a wink.         Rainbow Dash opened up the box with some hesitation, and not a few glances in Rarity’s direction.  Inside was what appeared to be a tunic but when Rainbow Dash picked it up she realized it was considerably heavier than it looked.         “Look between the folds at the bottom edge.” said Rarity pointing with her hoof.         Rainbow did as instructed and, with Applejack looking over her shoulder, saw tiny steel rings woven together in the layers of material.         “It won’t stop a determined attack,” continued Rarity. “but it will burn like the dickens to any...thing...allergic to steel.  Why don’t you try it on.”         Rainbow found that the tunic extended up past her main wing joints a bit but did not impede her movement.  As with the shoes from earlier, it blended completely into Rainbow’s mane and fur. “This...this is awesome!” she said to Rarity.  “I don’t know what to say.”         “Say nothing Darling.” Rarity replied with a smile. “Just wear it in good heath.”         “If’n y’all are gonna go sappy on me, I’ll be headed into the ‘Walker now.” Applejack said as she walked back into the ship.  Rarity caught the edge of a smile as she disappeared from view.         “I could only get one done in the time allowed.” Rarity said apologetically.         “Rarity I seriously don’t know what to say.” Rainbow Dash said as she hugged her friend. “Thanks!”         “My pleasure.” Rarity replied. ===================================================================================================         Even with the help of Rainbow Dash and Applejack, the preparations still took some time.  “This is a royal picnic after all.” one of the guards told his younger charge when questioned. “I don’t think a royal dump could be completed without at least three assistants.”         “Four actually.” said Celestia standing behind a now very embarrassed guard. “But I draw the line at having someone wipe the royal flank.”  Her grin was wide and somehow slightly menacing.         The guards in question bowed and hastily found somewhere else to be.         Princess Twilight Sparkle couldn’t help but giggle as she watched the exchange from behind Celestia’s wing.         “Oh you think that’s funny do you?” Celestia said in mock anger.  “If you’d been here even 500 years ago you too would be struggling with ‘Royal Bathroom Protocol’”         “I’ll address my organizational skills to the problem at once Your Royal Highness.” Twilight said with a formal bow. “Would you like the Royal Bidet a particular color?”         “Twilight, you have NO idea.” Celestia finished with a laugh.         “I’m sure.”  Twilight said with a smile.         “No.  I’m serious.” said Celestia. “They would ask me what color my...plot should be.  It took me 100 years just to convince them that I didn’t need that part of my body bleached.”         “Ew.” Twilight said.         “Ew indeed.” Celestia replied.  “Looks like we are almost finished here.  I think it’s time to, as Applejack would say, ‘load up and head out’.”         “Eeeyup.” was Twilight’s only response as she headed into the ship to gather her friends.  “Time to go everypony!”         “Shall we be walking dear?” Rarity asked.         “Not this time.” replied Twilight.  “This is officially a Royal Picnic and thus we have Royal Transport.”  With a flourish of her hoof she pointed to the larger than average carriage that the guards had unloaded and prepared.  Six royal guards were hitched to the front and standing at attention in preparation of departure.         “Oh my!” exclaimed Fluttershy. “That looks so beautiful!”         “It’s right spiffy!” Applejack replied. “I do believe we are attending the picnic in style.” she continued in her best Manehatten accent.  This caused all in attendance to immediately laugh.         “Oh!  Let me get my coach hat!” Rarity exclaimed.  “Won’t be a moment!”         “Oh no you don’t!”  said Rainbow Dash and Applejack almost in unison.  Blocking her path, they herded a protesting Rarity out of the ship and towards the carriage.         “It lightens my heart so to have you all in my life.” Celestia said as she smiled as Rarity passed by. “I must confess I was very depressed until the six of you came into my life.  Things could have gone much much worse.”         “Would you believe I knew that?” Twilight said.         “Of all the ponies in my life I would expect nothing less of you that you would notice.”  Celestia said with a smile. “I hid it beneath the veneer of pomp and circumstance but you have been closer to me than many other ponies.  I am unsurprised really that you saw me as I truly was.”         “I was so sad sometimes.” Twilight replied with a frown.  “I saw you in pain sometimes but could do nothing.  What could a pony like me do for a celestial princess?”         “In the end it was just being you that brought the light and hope back to my heart.” Celestia said as she looked down at her former pupil.  “Did I ever tell you that it was chance that you found the stories of Nightmare Moon?  No?  It was really.  I could not interfere for fear of altering the events to come.  I hoped that it would be you but I could not force that to come to pass.  In the end it worked out.  But knowing what I know now, I would not take such a chance in the future.  Not with you, and indeed not with all your sisters.”         Twilight just smiled as they both got into the carriage along with the others.         Despite best efforts it was another ten minutes before the entourage set off.  The occupants of the carriage filled the time with small talk.  Pinkie raised the question of what they might find in the spider’s lair.         “I honestly don’t know.” confessed Twilight. “Despite our best efforts we’ve been unable to scan the location remotely.”         “The best we could determine is that it’s a fairly large space.” Celestia continued. “Given the size the spiders had grown to, that is not Equestria shattering information.”  With that, the carriage started moving.         Traffic throughout the city was in the waning stages of the daily congestion so progress was slow.  Eventually they reached the park and the guards started the setup process for the picnic area.  Efficiently they worked and in short time the princesses and their companions exited the carriage to the well wishes of the crowd that had gathered to see them.           Waving as appropriate, the ponies sat down to dinner and eventually, over a few hours, the crowd thinned to a much smaller amount.  In time, the royal guards slowly expanded the space until nopony from the crowd could see the company clearly.  While that was accomplished, the ponies sat and talked about random subjects.  Eventually there was a rustling from a nearby bush and a set of hoofprints appeared in the grass next to the picnic blanket.         Luna’s voice cam from thin air, “My ladies if you’d be so kind to stand perfectly still for a moment.”  As requested the mares froze in their spots until Luna spoke again.  “Now, if thou wouldst activate your invisibility spells please?” she said still from her spot in the grass.         Once again the group obeyed.  Once they had all disappeared, they could now see Luna standing there nodding her head. “Excellent.” she said.  “Now please carefully step into the bushes one by one.”         One by one they stepped into the bushes and looked back.  They were all quite surprised to see the entire group still sitting on the blanket happily chatting away.  They could even hear themselves talk about the subjects they had discussed several hours ago.         “That’s simple amazing!” said Rarity.         “And more than a little creepy.” said Applejack.         “As Tia and I planned, I cast a recording spell several hours ago.” Luna explained. “Now we are carefully playing back the earlier recording.  This shall gain us several hours hopefully.”         “Excellent work.” Celestia said.  “I’m actually quite impressed.  I knew you were good with illusions but this one is exceptional.”         Luna only nodded in reply.         Taking the lead, Twilight directed them all to the nearest subway entrance and navigated to what for all purposes appeared to be a blank section of wall.  A Wonderbolts poster was plastered on it in a tilted fashion.  Rainbow Dash just shook her head sadly.  “That’s just wrong.” she said.         “Fortunately for you then it’s not real.” replied Twilight.  Reaching for her magick, she carefully probed the barrier.  “Wow.  I think this uses almost every trigger and alarm spell I’ve ever heard of.”         “So then what’s the plan?” Applejack asked?         “Silly pony!” Pinkie interjected. “We go around it!”         “Pinkie...it’s a solid wall.” Rainbow Dash said. “I mean I know you do some weird stuff but even you can’t walk through solid concrete!”         “Umm...actually...” Twilight said. “Pinkie is right.  While the door so to speak is alarmed to all Tartarus, the walls on either side are completely free of any spells!”         Twilight reached out again and her horn glowed brightly.  Slowly an indentation pressed itself into the wall to the right of the section with the poster on it.  As the indentation grew so did a pile of dust on the floor in the tunnel.  When the indentation grew so deep they could no longer see the end of it, Twilight ceased working.  She stood there for a moment admiring her handiwork.  “Not bad.” she said. “Think I could apply for a mining permit?” she asked Celestia.  Her grin was infectious as her former mentor returned it.         “We’ll file one first thing when we get back.” Celestia said as she peered at the pile of dust nearby. “Though you’ll have to work on separating out the important items instead of just making dust.”         “Everypony’s a critic.”  Twilight said before sticking her tongue out at Celestia.  “All right.  Let’s do this!” she continued as she stepped into the makeshift entrance.         One by one they entered the tunnel, Luna following last, until they all stood in the original subway tunnel hidden behind the barrier.  Strangely the illusion, at least the visual portion, was one way.  Light from the main subway area shone unobstructed through not only Twilight’s tunnel but the original one as well.  Pausing briefly, Twilight cast her own illusion on the entrance to the passage they had just come through.         “Please tell me you put a poster on it.” Rainbow Dash said.         “I did indeed.” Twilight replied.         “Wonderbolts?” Rainbow Dash asked hopefully.         “Sapphire Shores.” Twilight said.         “Aww!” Rainbow Dash said in a dejected tone of voice.         “Y’all know spiders have ears right?” Applejack whispered quickly to the two of them.         “Quite right Applejack.” Celestia affirmed with a similar whisper. “We are invisible not inaudible.  Remember?”         Looking slightly embarrassed, both Twilight and Rainbow Dash closed their lips immediately.  Clearing her throat slightly, Twilight motioned for them to follow her down the tunnel.  Fortunately the lights in the tunnel were still functional.  Twilight wondered briefly if the spiders actually maintained the tunnels but then dismissed the thought as they passed a light that had gone out.  The spell matrix was broken and drained of all power.  Shaking her head, she forced her curiosity down and continued walking.  After some time she heard a quiet sound behind her.  She turned to find Fluttershy waving a hoof to get her attention.         “Umm...” Fluttershy started. “If the spiders can see us then why are we still invisible?  I mean...couldn’t it attract them?  Could it bring them here to us?”  Fluttershy started breathing heavily with the onset of a panic attack.  Celestia enveloped her under a wing and she calmed enough to breathe normally again.         “We ain’t stayin invisible ‘gainst the spiders ‘Shy.” Applejack said softly. “We’re hidin from anything else that’s down here.”         “Quite correct Applejack.” Luna said softly.  Her voice was almost unheard and it produced no echo.  “These tunnels could contain any number of creatures.”         Celestia shushed Luna with a wave of her hoof and continued her efforts to keep Fluttershy calm as they continued down the tunnel.