//------------------------------// // Episode Fourteen: Down the Rabbit hole // Story: Discovering Friendship // by Saro0fdemonz //------------------------------// THE ENDING TO THIS CHAPTER HAS BEEN CHANGED FROM ITS ORIGINAL POST. THE REST OF THE CHAPTER IS UNCHANGED "Just show me what she showed you!" Rainbow begged Rarity. The fashionista sighed, her body glowing as mana surrounded her. "She told me to picture Applejack in danger beyond my help. I've already told you Rainbow Dash to try picturing Twilight in the same manner, and as my sister said, this is something only a Vampire can do. Were you to attempt it you would only injure yourself Rainbow" Rarity explained once more. Rainbow sighed, crossing her arms. "There's gotta be more to it than that. I'd be totally unstoppable if I could pull that off!" Rainbow argued. Applejack and Twilight sat nearby, focusing on the scroll Vinyl had brought them while their friends argued. "Ah hope ya'll understand this here gibberish Twilight. Cause ah sure don't." the farmer mumbled, staring at the ancient symbols. "It's written in the language of the Ancients. The same language used to harness Mana for Advanced Spells." Twilight explained, eyes scanning over the contents of the scroll. "So this is some kinda Spell? How in th' hay are we s'pose t' use it then? Only you an Rarity can use magic." Applejack pointed out. "Well, if I'm reading this right...we only need a bit of magic and...some blood." Twilight blinked, reading over the scroll once more. "B-Blood?! What kinda crazy spell is this?!" Applejack demanded. "One meant to seal away an immortal God of Chaos." Twilight answered absentmindedly. "This spell is incredibly old...it seems we only need a drop from each of us, smeared over our Element and a simple enchantment." Twilight murmured. "How in th' hay are we gonna do that when Shy still has..." Applejack paused, her eyes widening. Twilight hung her head, coming to the same realization as her friend. In order for the spell to work...they needed Fluttershy's blood. Doctor Stable watched in silence as his machines whirred and hissed loudly, Pinkie Pie sitting in the middle of the madness, nodes attached to her and leading to the computer nearby. The baker sat cross legged, eyes closed and a random part of her body twitching every now and again. "Doctor, shouldn't we be helping her?" a nurse whispered. "Princess Celestia herself has assured me that if anything, we need her help." Doctor Stable replied, his eyes focused on the computer screen. Pinkie Pie shook, her shoulder spasming and her head twitching to the side. The machines began to whir louder and suddenly came to a screeching halt as Pinkie opened her eyes. "I...I found him..." she mumbled, eyes widening as she began yanking nodes off. "I FOUND HIM! I need to go!" she yelled, tumbling through the cords and running out the door before anyone had a chance to wonder what was going on. "So...what you are saying is...in order for this spell to work...we need to get Fluttershy's blood onto her Element somehow?" Rarity asked softly. "Yes well...I suppose it won't be easy but..." "Oh just come out an say it! You want us to kill Fluttershy. I bet the Princess wants us to kill her! You know what, I bet she knew the whole damn time!" Rainbow yelled, blinking as Applejack slapped her. "AJ, what the heck!?" "None of us like this anymore than you do Dash. If Shy were here...if she were really our friend, we wouldn't be in this mess. Ain't none of us wanna hurt her. But we gotta do what we gotta do." "Best case scenario, we knock her out and collect a sample." Twilight quickly added. "And worst case scenario?" Rainbow asked. Twilight bit her lip, clutching the scroll. "Well...w-we might not have a choice Rainbow..." Twilight stammered. Rainbow hung her head as she shook. "I'll do it..." she mumbled. "What?" "If we have to kill her then I'll do it. She's a Skyborn, she'll be too quick for anyone else. Stack on the fact that she's runnin' around hyped up on chaos magic and my odds are lookin' a lot better than anyone else. I'm the fastest we've got, I know Shy better than anyone else here and...I doubt she'll wanna kill me, heck, she held back on AJ from what you guys told me." Rainbow took a shuddering breath and quickly cleared her throat. "Just...tell me it won't come to that..." she begged softly. Twilight set the scroll aside, pulling the Skyborn close. "I promise Rainbow, I won't let it come to that." "GIRLS!GIRLS!GIRLS! I FOUND HIM!" Pinkie yelled, popping up next to them. "Discord?" Applejack asked. Pinkie nodded quickly. "He's in Celamont! He's under the castle!" she exclaimed, the group gasping and leaping to their feet. "We have to hurry! For all we know he could be planning an attack on the Princess' right now!" Twilight panicked. "Wait a moment Twilight. Doesn't this feel a little...easy?" Rarity asked. "Easy? Th' heck do ya mean easy?" Applejack asked. "Think about it. An all powerful God of Chaos attacks us, leaves us alive and hides in a place we obviously can find him. He obviously knows more about us than we do, so he should know we could find him with Pinkie Pie's help." Rarity counted off on her fingers. "You think its a trap?" Twilight asked. "Without a doubt in my mind." Rarity replied. Applejack crossed her arms, looking amongst her friends. "So what if it is a trap? Ain't gonna stop us from doin' what needs t' be done" she reasoned. "You're right. But we can still be prepared." Twilight agreed, glancing over her shoulder. "Spike could you...oh..." she sighed, realizing her assistant had left for Celamont hours ago. "Maybe I can help" a young man spoke up. The group turned, finding him leaning against a wall and wearing a pure white hoodie, his hands tucked into his pockets and his head hung low. "Uh...I'm not sure you know what we're getting ourselves into McWeirdo." Rainbow answered. He simply shrugged as he walked towards them. "You're about to walk straight into Discords hands, right where he wants you and be forced to kill the only family I have left. Pretty sure I know what you're getting into." he replied, pausing as Rainbow grabbed hold of his hoodie. "You better talk fast you little..." she blinked as he flicked his hood back and flashed her a bucktoothed grin. "A-Angel?" she stammered, eyes wide. "Angel? Fluttershy's bunny?" Rarity asked. "You're a Beast-kin..." Twilight realized. He shrugged once more and chuckled. "Kind of. I'm actually breaking a LOT of rules doing this. But Dad broke them first." Angel sighed. "...WAIT A MINUTE! You saw me and Shy..." Rainbow glared at him, the bunny flashing another grin and sliding backwards, leaving his hoodie in Rainbows grip. "Look. You girls are my last chance of saving my sister. Pops is gonna realize I'm gone any minute now and all hell is gonna break loose. Are you gonna let me help or not?" "The more the merrier!" Pinkie giggled "It is as you feared mistress. The Elements are walking into a trap. But Master will not tell me what the trap is." Trixie sighed. Luna paced about her room slowly as her thoughts raced. Just what was Discord up to? Why had he spared the Elements if he was just planning to lead them into a trap? She hadn't expected his plan to make any sense, but this...it was impossible to wrap her head around. Was he just toying with them? No. There was something she was missing, an important link in the chain of madness Discord had left in his wake. But where was it? The first was easy. His Daughter, Fluttershy. Somehow he had known she would take a place among the Element Bearers. The next, Rainbow Dash. He had gotten his claws into her while she was but a little girl in desperate need of help. Then there was his affiliation with the Vampire Crime Spree in Celamont a few years before Luna's return. Then...there was Applejack, the young mother of a Chaotician. And of course there was Pinkie Pie, whose bloodline had been fathered by Discord himself. Was it chance? Luck? No, it couldn't be. Discord never relied on luck. Every single move he made was carefully calculated to keep everyone on their toes, himself included. She thought back on the five lives he was connected to, pondering what effect it had on each of the bearers only to realize that in the end, it had made each of them stronger. It didn't make sense. Why would he WANT them to be stronger? Did he just want a proper challenge? It was driving her mad! "Are you alright Mistress?" Trixie asked worriedly. Luna glanced over at her pupil and took a slow breath to calm herself. "Yes, my apprentice. I am fine. Though I worry as to what Discord plans to do with this trap of his. I suspect he is aware of your true position in all of this...should he contact you again, simply continue to act as you have. Let him believe we are convinced we have the upper hand in all of this." "Of course Mistress..." Trixie replied softly, still worried for her teacher. Celestia grit her teeth and forced herself to relax, hands at her sides and her features emotionless. "How dare you step foot in this place?" "This place was once my home, as it is yours Celly." "DO NOT CALL ME THAT!" Celestia yelled, the entire throne room shaking with her rage. Discord sighed softly, tucking his hands into his pockets. Three cloaked figures stood behind him, awaiting his orders. "Things don't have to be like this. We can have what we lost, we can be happy. All of this can just go away if you give me a chance to prove myself." Discord held out his hand and wore a gentle smile. Celestia scoffed. "How long did that speech take you? You never were good with words." she spat. He sighed once more and shook his head. "So this is it then?" he asked softly. Celestia answered by drawing her sword, Spike standing to her left in his armor and Vinyl on her right. "You know you can't win this fight." Discord warned. "You fail to realize that I've already won." Celestia smirked. "Sit Spike." Morigan ordered softly, though the armored figure did nothing. She stepped forward and lowered her hood. "SIT!" she yelled. Still he did nothing. Celestia smiled as she glanced at the former Knight. "I'm afraid he can't hear you while he's sleeping." she said softly, a loud snore emanating from the armor "But he can hear me just fine." Luna spoke up from behind them. "Spike! Defend your Princess!" Luna ordered. The Knight drew his sword and rushed towards Morigan, Skylar drawing his blade to parry the dragon's blade. Morigan leapt backwards, Spike giving chase and Skylar following behind to defend his mistress. Vinyl rolled her shoulders and smirked under her armor. She blinked as Celestia held her arm in front of her. "Not yet." she glanced at her out of the corner of her eye and Vinyl took a step back. She was well aware that Celestia was no match for Discord. This wasn't a battle of strength or magic or even speed. It was a battle of wits. This was all just one big chess match and Celestia was in Check. Her next move had to made as carefully as possible. Around Discord however, the safest move was also the craziest. The Chaotician spun as Luna leapt at him from behind, raising his hand and catching the flying knee she threw at him. The Celestian gritted her teeth, hovering with her wings and glaring at him. "It's good to see you again Lulu." "I wish the same could be said for you." she spat as she landed, tossing away her royal dress. Underneath she was dressed in her personalized combat gear. A pair of dark blue shorts hung just above her knees with a matching sports top leaving her belly revealed to the world. She reached into her pocket, slipping on a pair of Mana Gloves, the fabric meshing with her skin as she fed a spark of magic into them. "The time for talking is over it seems. Fluttershy Dear, keep the Knight busy while we wait for your friends." Discord snapped his fingers, the Skyborn vanishing and appearing beside Vinyl. The Knight slid away with Fluttershy giving chase. Celestia gripped the hilt of her Rapier, Discord standing between her and Luna with his hands tucked into his lab coat pockets. "You both know you won't win this." he warned softly. "As my sister told you before Discord. We have already won." Luna smirked, roaring as she rushed forward. Morigan grit her teeth as Spike slipped around Skylar with ease, smashing his elbow into the back of the Gaian's head and spinning with a leg sweep to drop him to the ground followed up with the hardest head stomp he could muster. No doubt Skylar was out cold and would be for at least a few minutes. She was on her own and without her commands to hold the dragon at bay. She sighed, calling to the Chaos in the air and letting it funnel around her. "Why?" Spike said softly, causing her to pause. She watched as the armor began to shake, her eyes widening as she realized the boy was crying. "Why did you do this? Why did you leave me? WHY DID YOU ABANDON ME?!" he screamed as he rushed at her, the former knight barely having enough time to block his sword with one of her spears. Again his attack came with just as much fury, causing her to stumble backwards. "When I needed you the most, you left me behind, with no reason, no answers, and then you started destroying everything! WHY?! TELL ME WHY!" he continued to scream at her as his blade flew through the air with deadly precision. Morigan gasped as she bumped into the wall, Spikes sword aimed well and true as it drove through her chest, nailing her to the wall. He shook as he gripped the sword, his head down. She smiled softly, placing her hands on his shoulders and wincing as she leaned forward to place a gentle kiss against his helmet. "Because I love you little Spike. Because I did what had to be done just like you have now." she whispered. His armor faded away, the dragon gritting his teeth and shaking his head. "This isn't what I wanted..." he sobbed as his eyes opened. "But its what had to be done." she placed her hand against his cheek, wiping away a stray tear. "Go Spike...She needs you more than I do. She cares for you so much more than I do. Just remember this final lesson...What has to be done...is not always what we want to do." she kissed his forehead, wincing as she leaned back against the wall and snapped her fingers, her entire body swallowed in chaotic flames. Nearby Skylar suffered the same fate as his Mistress' life slowly but surely came to an end. Spike sank to his knees, staring at his sword embedded in the wall and the scorch mark of one of the few true family members he ever had. Sweet fucking Celestia what is this bitch made of?! Vinyl thought to herself as she slipped around one of Fluttershy's punches and buried her fist into the Skyborns stomach. She hardly reacted, simply grabbing Vinyl's arm and throwing her across the room. This is getting ridiculous. None of my punches are doing anything. Whats worse... She threw up her arms, grunting as a punch smashed into her forearms and sent her flying across the rest of the room. Vinyl quickly righted herself in the air, panting as she landed. I'm pretty damn sure she's holding back "Need some assistance?" Cheerilee taunted through her earpiece. She could just tell the Gaian was grinning, probably with a bag of popcorn in her lap too. "It'd really be appreciated!" Vinyl yelled as she leapt backwards, Fluttershy's fist smashing into the tiled floor and leaving a crater behind. "Just keep her still. I'll make it easy for you. This should knock her out and you can slip a collar on her" Cheerilee ordered. Vinyl rolled her eyes and rushed forward, gritting her teeth as she threw up her arms, a spell sparking between her hands and Fluttershy grabbing her arms. "DO IT NOW!" Vinyl yelled. A single gunshot rang out, Fluttershy leaning backwards and yanking on Vinyl's arms, the bullet landing in the Knights armor. Fluttershy turned her head slowly, spotting Cheerilee up on a balcony. Vinyl blinked, realizing the Skyborn had vanished. She glanced up, seeing her standing behind Cheerilee. "LOOK OUT!". Pinkie Pie and Angel froze in place, clenching their fists and shaking their heads. "No...NO!" Angel yelled, suddenly running as fast as his legs could carry him. Pinkie simply stood there, tears dripping down her face as her friends crowded around her. "Pinkie? Are you okay? Whats wrong?" Rarity asked worriedly. "Ya'll can tell us Sugarcube, we're here fer ya remember?" Applejack comforted. "AJ's right. Whatever's got you down is just as much our problem as yours Pinks." Rainbow grinned. Pinkie Pie shook her head, tearing her eyes from her friends. How was she supposed to tell them their friend was a murderer?