Missing Dreams
Chapter 5
Midnight Meetings
The sun was approaching the horizon as a squad of golden armour-clad pegasus guards descended upon Ponyville, bringing with them chariots filled with a dozen unicorn guards as well as an extra chariot full of equipment that made sense only to those who knew how to use it. The pile of purple shards had been quickly cleared away to prevent any unnecessary magical contamination, and the unicorn guards had spread out around the library, each with their brow tightly furrowed in concentration and horn glowing. One by one, they looked up to their leader and shook their head, who would mark an X on a quickly-drawn floor plan of the front room before nodding at them and pointing out another spot to check.
Rainbow sat with her five friends and Shadow Charm off to the side where they would be out of the way, but every time a guard shook their head the nervous, impatient ball in the pit of all their stomachs grew. As yet another guard opened their eyes and looked to to his captain, Rainbow held her breath and waited for his answer.
“Sorry, sir,” he said, standing straight. “Not this one either.”
The officer nodded solemnly, marking an X on the map and moving on.
“Oh come on!” Rainbow shouted, jumping to her hooves. “She was standing right there! How can you not have found it!?”
Shadow Charm placed a gentle hoof on her shoulder. “It's not that simple,” he said slowly, guiding her back onto her haunches. “When a pony teleports, they are surrounded in a layer of magic, which they use as a pattern to make a mold of themselves in the place they want to teleport to. When they teleport, it's almost like and explosion, and the magical coating pops and flies everywhere. The residue is still linked to the other side, but it's been scattered around the room, and finding one specific spell amongst a large cloud like the one filling the library is, while not impossible, very difficult. Not to mention incredibly time consuming.”
Rainbow blinked at him, before sighing. “I only understood half of that, but fine. What's with the weird beeping thing though?” She asked, motioning to a rather large metal device sitting on the table in the middle of the room. It was a simple metal box, on one side it had a control panel with various switches and levers, and on the top it had a single light bulb, though it didn't appear to be on. Every couple seconds it would emit a quiet, high-pitched beep.
“That's...” Shadow Charm frowned at the machine. “Complicated. I don't fully understand it myself, but what I can tell you is that it makes it so the unicorns can actually see the teleportation residue.”
Rainbow huffed, crossing her forelegs. “Well if they can see it then what's the big deal!? Just look for the right one and then bam!” She smacked her hooves together for emphasis.
“Please, be patient,” Celestia's infinitely soothing voice called, the alicorn herself descending the stairs from the upper floor, Shining Armour following close behind. “We will find her, but it will take time.”
Ignoring the advice and rolling her eyes, Rainbow's ear twitched as she heard another negative result called out. She sighed, hanging her head slightly and looking up at the Princess. “What were you two doing up there, anyway? You could've been helping!”
Celestia shook her head slowly, but didn't press the issue. “We were just discussing something, and I've made a decision. Shadow Charm?”
The grey stallion bowed politely. “Yes, your highness?”
“Tell me, how long have you been sentenced to prison?”
Shadow Charm jolted at the question, looking up hesitantly to the alicorn now towering over him. “T-twenty-five to life, Princess.”
Celestia nodded, walking deliberately slowly across the the room before coming to a stop in front of the stooped unicorn. “Tell me: In light of recent events, do you believe you deserve to have this sentence removed?”
“I...” He trailed off, looking resolutely at the ground. Glancing up breifly at Celestia, he quickly looked over to Rainbow Dash. Sighing, he shook his head. “No, I don't; I did a terrible thing, and I wouldn't be able to live myself if I went unpunished for it, no matter what I did here today.”
“A sentiment you and I share,” Celestia noted with a smile. “However, you have shown in more ways than one that you regret what you did, and you have made many steps in the right direction. Because of your help, we have been able to confirm that my student is alive, and have made progress towards finding her, I have seen fit to reward your efforts. By royal decree, your sentence is hereby reduced to ten years.”
Shadow Charm bit his lip, tears gathering in the corner of his eyes. “Thank you, Princess,” he whispered, finally standing up and looking Celestia in the eye.
“If you don't mind my asking, how old are you?” Celestia asked curiously, motioning for Shining Armour to join in the search for the correct spell as another negative result was called out.
“36, ma'am.”
Celestia frowned. “Forgive me for the intrusion, but you're not married? No children? No marefriend, even?”
Shadow Charm shook his head. “No, I've... my sister always-”
“Then do yourself a favour; by time you get out of jail, your sister will be behind bars – permanently. Go find yourself a nice mare to settle down with, and never let Neon Lightning control your life again.”
“I will,” Shadow Charm affirmed with a smile. “I'm finally free from her, and I'll never let her get to me.”
Celestia returned a small smile of her own. “I'll make sure the guards keep you updated on the search for her, and if you'd like, you can pick out her cell.”
Shadow Charm grinned. “The one right next to mine so I can watch her rot, then wave goodbye when I'm released.”
“I got one!”
Everypony turned to look at the guard who had shouted. “Where's it lead?” Shining asked sharply, hurrying over to his position at the bottom of the stairs.
The guard shook his head. “I can't tell; it's too far for me to trace on my own.”
“Maps, I need maps!” Shining yelled, whirling around and searching the room until his eyes landed on the group of ponies sitting by the door. “Rainbow Dash, you must have been here often; where did Twilight keep her maps?”
Rainbow blinked. “Uh...”
“In the basement. Down the stairs, filing cabinet on the right. Top drawer. I should know; I had to sort them often enough.”
“Thanks Spike!” Shining called, rushing towards the basement door. As he reached for the handle he stopped dead in his tracks and turned to face the dragon who was currently standing in the doorway with his arms crossed. “Spike?”
“Thanks for letting me know you guys were here,” he deadpanned, shooting a venomous glare at Rainbow Dash. “I've been waiting at Rarity's all day. You said you'd let me know when you got back.”
Rainbow scratched the back of her neck awkwardly. “I... uh...”
“I wanted to come looking for you guys,” Spike continued, ignoring Rainbow's attempted excuse. “But you know how those three fillies are when they're alone.”
“Wait, if you didn't want to leave them alone then why-”
“What's with all the guards?”
“Is my sister in there?”
“Did something happen?”
Scootaloo, Applebloom, and Sweetie Belle all came pouring in through the doorway, trampling the dragon unfortunate enough to still be standing there.
“Whoa!” Scootaloo exclaimed, freezing in place and looking up. “Princess Celestia! What are you doing here?”
Celestia raised an eyebrow at the filly. “Didn't anypony tell you three what happened?”
All three crusaders shook their heads. “No,” Applebloom started, “Spike just kept sayin' to wait for my sister and her friends to get back.”
Shooting a stern look at Spike, Celestia stood. “Then it's time you're filled in on the details. Come with me, little ones,” she beckoned, encircling them with a large wing and guiding them to the kitchen. Just before the door closed behind her, she looked back over her shoulder. “Once you have a location, come get me.”
Shining Armour nodded before resuming his search for a map, running down to the basement. Rainbow and the rest of her friends turned to look guiltily at Spike. “S-sorry,” Rainbow muttered. “We were... kinda busy...”
Spike's glare didn't relent for a second. “Too busy to come tell me whether or not my own sister is dead?”
“She's not!” Rainbow offered quickly. “We're just trying to find where she is.”
“I figured,” Spike deadpanned, motioning to the metal box on the table. “It's not the first time I've seen one of those;Twilight helped design it, after all. I carried enough books on the stuff I think I got a little bit of it through osmosis.”
Rainbow tilted her head. “Osmo-what?”
“Never mind,” Spike grunted. “At least we know she was teleported away, which means there's a good chance she's okay.”
Shining burst through from the basement door, carrying in his magical grasp four large, rolled-up maps. “Where was it?” He demanded, scanning the room until his eyes landed on a guard waving at him. He hurried over, taking the maps and spreading them out across the floor. Each one mapped out a different part of Equestria.
“Who here's capable of preforming scrying spells?” He called. Most of the unicorn guards in the room raised their hooves. He pointed at the one closest to him. “You, prepare these maps for the tracing spell.”
The guard he had selected nodded and came over, lighting his horn. After a few moments of concentration, the guard let the spell go. Four flashes ensured all four maps had a gentle white glow surrounding them, pulsing steadily. “They're ready, sir,” the guard said, taking a step back.
Shining nodded, lighting his own horn. He closed his eyes, eyebrows furrowing as he focused on the spell. Silence trailed on for a few seconds before he turned to one of the maps and leaned down, touching his horn to the surface. A ring of light flashed out from the point of contact, sweeping over the entire map before reaching the edge. It came back in and centred around on Shining's horn.
“Not that one,” he muttered, sliding it away and turning to the next map. He repeated the process and was again met with the same result.
Rainbow Dash frowned as the second map was pushed away, and it deepened as the third one was tossed aside. She watched carefully as the fourth and final map was touched. Again the ring of light spread out over the map, and again it reached the edge before closing back in. This time, instead of centring on Shining's horn, it shifted, centring instead somewhere on the far right of the map.
“Found it!” Shining cried triumphantly, withdrawing his head and bringing forth a quill, quickly marking the spot before the ring of light faded. “Looks like she was teleported out west somewhere, past Canterlot. Not quite as far as the Gryphon Kingdom though.
Letting out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, Rainbow walked over and examined the map. “Well then let's go get her.”
Shining held a hoof up between Rainbow and the map. “It's not that easy. We have no idea what to expect from these ponies; we need to prepare. It'll take half a day for a squad of guards to get out there from Canterlot, and for all we know we could be walking into a trap.”
“Who cares!?” Rainbow shouted angrily, flailing her hooves at the spot marked. “We know where she is! I could get out there in a couple hours. Even if it is a trap, I'd like to see them try and stop me.”
“It will not be that simple,” a regally calm voice reminded. Rainbow turned, icy glare meeting with Celestia's own blank expression. “Whoever did this has resources; a unicorn powerful enough to craft the enchantment used on Twilight and disguise it almost perfectly as the Glass Statue curse. Beyond that even, we know, should it be the same pony or group who hired Neon Lightning, they are after you, Rainbow Dash; not Twilight.”
Rainbow's eyes narrowed. “Are you saying they're using Twilight to get to me?”
“I believe so,” Celestia affirmed with a solemn nod. “I don't know what their end goal is, but I know my student was most likely not the original target.”
Gritting her teeth, Rainbow stamped a hoof against the floor, venting only a small portion of the rage boiling in her blood. “Those... those... Argh! I can't believe this!”
“Um... if I may?” Shadow Charm offered hesitantly. “From what little information Neon gave me, she was hired to keep Miss Dash out of the Wonderbolts. Perhaps they are trying to accomplish this feat through different means?”
Celestia hummed quietly in thought. “Perhaps, though Neon said that her employer wanted Rainbow Dash to suffer. It sounds personal. Perhaps they intended to use Twilight as leverage?”
“How!?” Rainbow shouted. “They tried to make me think she was dead! How could they use that as leverage?”
“When a pony grieves, they go through five easily identifiable stages; denial, bargaining, anger, depression, and acceptance. If these ponies were to tell you that they had Twilight while you were in the bargaining phase, you'd likely do whatever they said in exchange for Twilight back,” Celestia explained slowly.
Rainbow growled. “Like I'd really be so desperate or gullible...”
“You never know how grief might affect you until you experience it. Though do you honestly mean to tell me you wouldn't do anything in your power to get Twilight back?”
“I...” Rainbow trailed off, pawing at the ground guiltily.
“But that is besides the point,” Celestia continued smoothly. “For now we are one step ahead of them, and we must use this to our advantage. Tonight we shall ready a squad of guards and leave tomorrow at first light. We'll bring only our fastest fliers.”
“Why can't we leave tonight?” Rainbow demanded. “We have guards here; we'll take them!”
Celestia frowned, eyeing Rainbow carefully as the pegasus took an aggressive stance. “I understand how you feel, but this is not something we can rush into headfirst; we need to plan and be careful. As soon as I lower the sun we will send out a small reconnaissance group. Tonight we will form a plan.”
“It's okay, Rainbow,” Shining Armour said calmly. “We'll get her back, we just need a little more time to prepare.”
Rainbow huffed, rolling her eyes. “I can see why she never mentioned you; what kind of brother do you call yourself, sitting here doing nothing while your own sister is being held against her will?”
Shining's face darkened suddenly as he took a slow breath. “Do not talk about things you do not fully understand.”
“And why shouldn’t I?” Rainbow yelled, taking a step toward the armoured stallion. “You call yourself a brother, and yet all you do is sit around and let other ponies do the work to find Twilight. I may not know what you two were arguing about, but I know Twilight was right.”
“Don't you think I know that!?” Shining snapped angrily. “I regret what I said every day; I've tried to apologize more times than I can count. My sister still won't talk to me and it's been almost two years! I made a mistake, and ever since then I have been paying the price. Even though my own sister refuses to talk to me, even though she has never responded to any of my letters, I am still doing everything within my power to help her, because no matter what happens she is still my sister, and I still love her, even if she doesn't think of me as a brother anymore.”
“Then prove it!” Rainbow raged, wings flaring wide out and sending out a gust of wind. “Prove that you still love her; get her back, no matter what stands in your way you have to get her back!”
“Enough!” Celestia's voice boomed as she forcefully stepped between the two arguing ponies, spreading her wings and pushing them apart. “The decision has been made; we will wait until morning to send a squad of guards, and until then we will wait on our scouts to return with the information we need to plan a tactical strike.
“Until then,” she continued, lighting her horn and snapping Rainbows muzzle shut. “You two will be civil; there are foals present, and they are acting more mature than you two. Shining Armour will accompany me back to Canterlot, as will all our guards. I've already sent word back to get a small group ready to be sent out to scout. As soon as they return we will work on a plan. Rainbow Dash and the rest of the Elements will remain here in Ponyville. I'll send a chariot to pick you up and bring you with us. Understood?”
Shining hesitated a moment before nodding his head, looking at the ground in shame as Celestia switched her piercing gaze to Rainbow. “I know how you feel, Rainbow Dash,” she said quietly. “We all know you can fly much faster than any scouts I send out, but you need to be patient.”
Rainbow glared at the alicorn holding her back, but eventually nodded as Celestia' magic released her muzzle.
“Good. Now, guards; return to Canterlot, and bring Shadow Charm back to his cell. I'll do the paperwork for his reduced sentence at a later date,” Celestia instructed, walking over to the door. She paused, looking back over her shoulder. “Oh, and Rainbow? Don't do anything Twilight wouldn't do.”
With that Celestia trotted swiftly out the door, followed by all the guards in the room, taking with them their machine and Shadow Charm. In just a few short moments the room emptied out, leaving just Rainbow Dash, her five friends, and Spike. A few tense moments of silence passed, before finally Applejack broke it by clearing her throat.
“Yes... well,” Rarity started slowly, glancing around the room. Rainbow seemed oblivious to her friends; just staring at the door through which Celestia had left. “That's a relief.”
Rainbow's ear twitched, and within seconds she was in Rarity's face. “That's a relief to you? Twi's being held captive somewhere, and you're relieved!?”
“Whoa, calm down Sugarcube,” Applejack urged, stepping forward. “That ain't what she's sayin'. All she means is that we need to take the victories as they come, right Rare's?”
Rarity nodded. “I didn't mean anything by it, I assure you. It's just good to know for sure that she's alive.”
“You....” Rainbow held her ground, glaring at Rarity for a few more seconds before finally taking a step back. She paused, falling back on her haunches and sitting silently for a few moments. Eventually the silence ended with a long-winded sigh. “I'm sorry. I'm just...”
“A little stressed? Rarity offered with a kind smile. “I understand. But I do believe the Princess is right; we should wait, else we may walk straight into a trap.”
“Is... is it safe to come out?” A timid voice called from the kitchen, a white face peering uneasily through the door, opened just a crack.
“Sweetie Belle!” Rarity cried, rushing over and opening the door. “Oh girls, I'm so sorry! With everything that happened I didn't even think before going to Canterlot and I just-”
Sweetie smiled up at her sister. “It's okay; Princess Celestia explained what happened. If one if my friends went missing, I'd probably go after her as soon as I could, too.”
“Me too!” Applebloom chorused.
“Me three!” Scootaloo agreed.
“Me four!” Pinkie giggled happily.
Rainbow glanced out the window, noting the position of the sun as it neared the horizon. “It's probably time you girls head home; we have a big day tomorrow, after all. We're finally going to get Twilight back.”
“Are you sure?” Fluttershy asked quietly. “I could stay with you. I mean, if you wanted me to...”
“No... you should go check on your animals. That goes for all of you; I don't want anypony falling asleep tomorrow when we rescue Twi.”
Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure you don't want any company?”
Rolling her eyes, Rainbow started leading the group to the front door. “I'm sure. I'm gonna have Spike here with me anyway.”
“Whoa, you mean you're staying here?” Pinkie asked excitedly. “That's, like, super romantic!”
“Knock it off, Pinkie. Oh, and would you mind taking Scoot's home? She lives a few houses down from the bakery.”
“Right-o Dashie!” Pinkie affirmed with an over-exaggerated salute, bouncing over to the orange pegasus filly. “Let's go Scooty!” Without waiting for an answer she scooped the filly onto her back and hopped out the door. Scootaloo's surprised shriek echoed through the streets as she was whisked away.
“Well then, if you're sure, I bid you goodnight, Rainbow Dash. We'll come back here bright and early to meet the guards,” Rarity said, ushering Sweetie out the door as she made her own exit, followed closely by Applejack and her sister. Fluttershy left last, glancing over her shoulder regularly and watching as Rainbow waved from the doorway. When she turned a corner down the street, Rainbow slammed the door shut, turning and coming face to face with Spike, his arms crossed.
“I noticed it too, ya know,” he deadpanned.
Rainbow shifted awkwardly, averting her eyes. “What did you notice?”
Shaking his head, Spike walked away and picked a sheet of paper up off the table, throwing it down in front of Rainbow. “This. I know you saw it and that's why you wanted them out.”
“I... fine. I saw it,” Rainbow admitted. “But you heard what she said!”
“I did... which is why I'm not going to stop you. Just... be safe, okay? And bring her home safe too.”
Rainbow nodded, taking the map off the floor and double checking where Celestia had marked it. “You can count on me. I won't do anything Twilight wouldn't do.”
“And she certainly wouldn't sit idly by while her marefriend was being held captive somewhere,” Spike said sadly, watching as Rainbow rolled up the map. “You need a compass or anything?”
“No, I'll manage. If I'm not back before the guards get here, tell them where I went. I don't know what to expect but... Twi's worth it.”
Spike nodded, walking over to a closet and rummaging through it for a few moments before extracting a pair of saddlebags. “While you were talking I packed you a bag. Everything you'll need is in here. I even got you that tacky spy getup Twilight used to sneak into the Canterlot archives.”
Chuckling, Rainbow accepted the bags, tucking her map into them and throwing them over her shoulders. “I can see why Twi calls you her number one assistant.”
“Yeah...” he trailed off, glancing out the window for a moment. “No use asking to come with you, is there?”
“Nope.”
Spike sighed “Didn't thing so. Well... if you want to get there before Celestia's scouts you'll want to leave pretty soon. I'll see you back here before dawn. With Twilight.”
Rainbow smiled, trotting over and opening the front door. She held her necklace up against her chest, taking a few deep breaths, before looking back with a cocky grin. “There's no way I'm coming back without her.”
The sun had disappeared the horizon, giving way to the full, silver moon as Rainbow Dash sped over the barren plains of western Equestria. The occasional homestead could be seen sitting by a farm or orchard, but for the most part the land was nothing but flat, grassy fields. The last town had been passed some time ago, and the only other settlements out here wold be in the Gryphon Kingdom. Double checking the moon to ensure she was still flying the right direction, Rainbow reached back into her saddlebags and pulled out the map, unfurling it and scanning for any landmarks.
“There's nothing out here!” She shouted, looking out over the darkened landscape. According to the map, she should be right next to the place Twilight had been teleported to, but there was nothing. Her wings were sore from the long flight that was looking more and more like it would turn out to be a fruitless effort.
“Where are you hiding?” Rainbow asked, descending until she was just barely higher than the ground and starting to fly in circles, each one getting a little bit wider. After nearly a dozen circles, she spotted something; a tiny, rundown shack, sitting atop a small hill. It was the only building within miles of the marking on the map.
Landing quietly in front of it, Rainbow examined it carefully; the windows were boarded up, blocking any view of the inside, but there was no light coming from within. If she didn't know any better, she'd say there was nopony there. But she did know better; this was where they had taken Twilight. The house couldn't have had more than three rooms, and even those would have been smaller than even the smallest houses in Ponyville.
Walking up to the door, Rainbow leaned in slowly and put her ear up against the rotting wood.
Silence.
Curiously, carefully, she raised her hoof and tapped it against the wood. Three gentle thuds sounded out into the quiet night. Again she listened, holding her breath and slowing her racing heart.
Still, there was silence.
She reached up and slowly turned the knob, swinging the door open with a deafening screech. When it was half way open she stopped, peering into the darkened front room. What little moonlight managed to get in through the doorway illuminated a small living room to her left and an attached kitchen to her right. Two doors sat on the far wall, but the specifics of the room were bathed in inky blackness.
Mustering her courage, she flung the door open all the way and stepped inside. Still, no sound came from the house, and nothing moved. Rainbow reached back into her saddlebags, pulling out a self-lighting candle. She brought it forward with a wing and bit the tab attached to the wick, ripping it off like one would pull the pin of a grenade. The paper sparked, setting the paraffin-soaked wick on fire. The candle cast a dull orange light into the room, making the shadows dance with the small flame as a gentle breeze blew into the house.
“Hello?” Rainbow called, taking a single step into the seemingly abandoned building. She scanned the walls, illuminated by the flickering candle light, for some sign of recent activity. Everything seemed to move, and every time she caught sight of something she'd jump to face it, her heart beating just a little bit harder every time.
Suddenly, there was a noise. A quiet noise. A quiet noise that was usually louder, at least when Rainbow heard it. But this time, it was different from all the other times; it was slow, methodical, sarcastic.
“Well done,” a voice called, their slow clapping continuing to echo around the room. “It only took you, what? 24 hours?”
Rainbow grit her teeth. It was a voice she knew well. “Get out here you coward!” She shouted, swinging her candle around to try and spot the other pony. “I know you're in here! What did you do to Twilight!?”
“Twilight?” Neon Lightning's voice repeated, thoughtful sounding. “I'm sorry, I don't know anypony by that name.”
In the darkness, there was movement. Rainbow turned to face it in time to see one of the doors open, revealing a shaded figured. “Where is she!?” Rainbow yelled, taking an aggressive stance towards the other pony in the house.
Neon's toothy smile shone through the darkness. “Wouldn't you like to know? I'm afraid she's long gone.”
“You're lying!” Rainbow snapped. “We found out about your little spell; we know she was teleported here!”
Scoffing, Neon stepped froward from the shadowed doorway. “As if we'd be stupid enough to keep her where that spell lead.”
“Then why are you here?”
“Well, after your little.. escape trick last time,” Neon said, her jaw clenching almost imperceptibly. “I've been... demoted, shall we say; I'm merely a messenger, and you know the old saying.”
Rainbow's eyes narrowed. “If you're the messenger, then what's the message?”
Neon smiled. “Aw, what would be the fun in just telling you? No, I think I'm going to make you work for it.” As Neon laughed, a glint caught Rainbow's attention. She focused on it, her blood boiling as she recognized what it was. The pegasus caught her glare. “See something you like?” She asked, lifting up her necklace in a hoof.
“I'm quite fond of it, myself,” she continued when Rainbow didn't speak. Instead the cyan mare's jaw was clenched shut with barely contained rage. “She fought so hard to keep it... but in the end, there's not much she can do without her magic. Kind of pathetic, really. Then again, what would you be without your wings?”
“What did you just say!?” Rainbow demanded harshly.
Neon rolled her eyes. “Oh don't be so dramatic; all we did was cut her horn off.”
With a scream of rage Rainbow jumped, dropping her candle to the floor where the flame died and flying head-first at Neon. The pegasus just stepped to the side, allowing Rainbow to crash into the back room, landing against the baseboard of a bed.
“You're so gullible!” Neon laughed, peering into the room. “No; if I had my way that little nuisance would've been without a horn a long time ago. Unfortunately my employer sees things differently, so shes' unharmed. For now. You should have heard how she begged, though. How she cried when I took this,” she said, once again holding Twilight's necklace in her hoof. “She kept screaming about how you were going to kill me. Kept saying you would come find her, come save her. Of course, that silly notion was lost quickly...”
Rainbow bit her lip, forcing back bitter, angry tears as she pulled herself back up to her hooves. “What do you want from me?”
“Aw, what, didn't enjoy my joke? I thought you were Ponyville's premier prankster!” Neon mocked with an over exaggerated pout. When Rainbow didn't take the bait, she sighed. “Fine, be boring then. Here's the deal; we have your precious little marefriend, and unless you do as I say, you're never go to see her again, clear?”
“What do you want?” Rainbow repeated tersely.
“You have one week to drop out of the Wonderbolts,” Neon deadpanned, her ever-present smile fading. “If we don't see it in the papers by Sunday, Twilight will be as good as dead. Don't even think about telling anypony; if you so much as imply something about our little agreement to somepony, the deal's off, and we'll take Twilight somewhere you'll never find her.”
Rainbow ground her teeth together. “Why should I believe you? I have the Princess on my side; you are nothing compared to her.”
“As if the Princess can do anything,” Neon chuckled sarcastically. “How do you think I knew you'd come here? We have ponies watching you and your friends. The moment we think you've tipped somepony off, you'll never see us again.”
“You little-”
“I wonder if she'd scream...” Neon mused, ignoring Rainbow's half-formed insult and admiring her necklace. “If we actually did cut off her horn, I mean. I don't know much about unicorn horns, but I'd imagine they're quite sensitive.” A malicious grin flickered across her muzzle. “I suppose you'd know, wouldn't you? I've always wondered; how is she? You'd think a unicorn could do some pretty freaky stuff in bed... think I could force her to show me?”
“Don't you dare lay a hoof on her!” Rainbow screamed, once again launching herself at the taunting pegasus. This time Neon couldn't dodge in time as Rainbow's head rammed into her chest and sent them both tumbling into the front room. Rainbow landed on top, panting and glaring down at her grinning captive.
“What's the matter, Dashie?” Neon asked sweetly. “Protective of our marefriend? She's stopped waiting for you, you know. She's given up on you ever finding her. Now she just mopes in her little cage, eyes dull and lifeless as we-”
Neon was silenced as Rainbow's hoof came down across her face, smashing into her cheek and snapping her head to the side. The strike was accompanied by a scream of rage, which was followed by another, then another. Just before she could land the fourth punch, Neon flared her wings out against the ground and pushed herself up, flinging Rainbow off.
“Enough; anymore and you'll never see Twilight again,” Neon snapped, running a hoof across her muzzle and collecting the blood dripping from her nose. “Ha, you couldn't even break my nose. That tough mare persona is all a front; you're just a scared little foal in a grown-up's skin.”
Rainbow seethed, chest heaving as she forced herself to hold back. “You've delivered you're message, Miss Messenger; get lost.”
Neon's eye twitched. “No, I don't think I will. You know I used to have ponies lining up to hire me, but ever since my little... oversight with you two business has tried up. Ponies are saying that I'm weak, that I've lost my touch. I'm going to prove to them, and to you, that I am not a mare to be crossed.”
“You're so threatening,” Rainbow muttered. “You're boss doesn't want anypony to get hurt, so go on; run on home.”
Neon opened her mouth, but paused. She shook her head, chuckling. “I think you're mistaken, on two accounts. One is that you can't anger me; I have been in this business far too long to fall into such petty tactics. Two is that my employer only wishes for you to be alive without any permanent damage; he wouldn't care if I did something to you, as long as it won't cripple you.”
“Fine, have it your way. But mark my words; you will never get away with this. I don't know how, but I will stop you. I will keep my place in the Wonderbolts and I will get Twilight back,” Rainbow threatened with the most convincing voice she could muster.
Laughing, Neon Lightning just turned and trotted to the front door. “As if; I'm afraid we're much too intelligent for the likes of you to outsmart us. Remember, little pony; one week. If it's not in the papers then... well, I guess we know where your loyalties lie.” With that she jumped into the air, flying away into the dark of night. Rainbow watched her silhouette disappeared into the black backdrop of the sky.
Unfurling her wing, Rainbow watched as a small silver star with a purple gem in the centre fell out, dangling by a broken chain wrapped in her primaries. She looked at the pendant, a mixture of pain and relief across her face. Twilight was alive, and for now she was safe. But she wouldn't be if Rainbow didn't hold up her end of the deal, and that was something she wasn't sure she could do.
Rainbow reached over and slid Twilight's necklace off its broken chain, taking off her own necklace as well. She put them both onto the same chain, letting them rest together as she put them back around her neck. Putting her hoof over them, she felt her heart, thundering in anger just beneath her skin behind the pendants.
She looked up to the pearly white moon, now devoid of the face that had marred it for generations.
“What do I do?”