//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 // Story: Bathed in Blood and Darkness // by GoodKnight //------------------------------// "Whew..." the azure mare sighed before exiting the bathroom. "I didn't think I'd.. make..." The Azure mare stared at the alicorn with a bewildered look. "What is it?" Twilight Sparkle faltered a little beneath the gaze of the odd mare. She didn't let it her façade slip however. She would need to maintain it if her little plan would work. The plan in question wasn't the most well-thought out or even the most safest. In summary, she only had a week's worth of time (thanks to the beaurocracy of Equestria which she thought she needed to sort out personally) to try and reform and/or teach the very, very dangerous enemy living under her roof to be a good pony. "Your horn... is blinking..." the azure mare stated flatly. The alicorn looked up to her appendage and sheepishly smiled. She licked her hoof and gently put the magic out as if it were a candle. "There," she said with an air of satisfaction. "Better?" "Sure..." the Azure mare awkwardly replied. "S-so... I guess it's back to the room, right?" "Er... not quite..." Twilight said, regaining her façade. She turned to lead the unnamed mare and continued. "I thought that you'd maybe like some breakfast..." "Breakfast?" the mare echoed in confusion. "I... Um... Are you sure?" "...Why wouldn't I be?" Twilight asked carefully as she descended the staircase. "Well... I kinda thought that, from last night, that..." the prisoner stopped at the staircase, uncertainty in her expression. "I thought that you just didn't like me." The alicorn winced internally. The way the mare sounded was sort of accusing in a way. As if it were her fault that... She calmed down and tried to stick with her plan. No matter how guilty this mare could be, Twilight had to give her the benefit of the doubt. The elements didn't send her to the moon or encase her in stone. Therefore, this must be an incident similar to Nightmare Moon's defeat. "Logic, Twilight," she thought to herself. "Stick to the logic and carry on." "Well, that was for... er... You looked like someone who is in a lot of trouble," the princess called to the top of the staircase. She waited for her prisoner to follow. A thought crossed her mind, and she asked, "What's your name?" "Um..." the Azure mare looked down the flight of stairs. She remembered from last night how she couldn't exactly walk, especially when it came to the stairs. "I thou-ah! Ow! Ack! Oof!" Twilight stood and watched the mare fall down the stairs and land at her hooves in a heap of embarrassment and pain. She had to resist the urge to reach out to her and offer her some help. After all, reformation aside, this was still a very dangerous mare. Instead, she asked, "Are you alright?" "...yeah," the mare sighed. She stood up with groan, but seemed no worse for wear. "I... I thought I told you, or... somepony that I can't remember." "Hmm..." Twilight hummed thoughtfully. "I thought that... never mind. Breakfast, right?" "Yeah." In Twilight's eyes, the mare seemed a little too chipper for having just fallen down her entire staircase. She made a mental note of it. In the kitchen, Spike the dragon was already frying up some pancakes. He stood on a stool and wore his chef's cap and apron. When he heard the sound of hooves, he turned to say hi to his caretaker. He barely got out, "Hey," before he found himself looking at another mare, then being whisked off into another room by Twilight's magic. "Would you excuse us for a moment?" Twilight asked in a so-not-nervous-at-all voice. The azure mare nodded and walked into the kitchen. Twilight Brought the drake into the main library and spoke in a rushed, hushed whisper. "I know what this may look like, but do not panic. She's just a normal pony." "Um--" "Trust me Spike," Twilight said a little forcefully. Spike simply looked on with a worried and confused gaze. The mare forgot that Spike hadn't been informed of the living arrangements... or even who the mare is. With a sigh, she briefly explained, "When we went to confront the force known as Nightmare, we used the elements. She..." Twilight paused, looking over the room. The sword had not moved from it's spot, but the way it simply sat in the library unnerved her. The thought of a potential hazard, coupled with the potential evil, made her quite nervous. She threw an illusory spell over the blade and began to fret over the minor untidy details about the room "Who... is she Twilight?" Spike asked with a look of concern. "Well... she was what was left after... after the Elements..." Twilight explained with a sheepish smile. "Please don't freak out!" Spike stared into the kitchen silently. He was very surprised looking, but beyond that his expression was unreadable. Twilight stopped what she was doing and slowly approached the tiny dragon. "So... sh-she's...?" the drake stuttered with a gesture of his claw. "Yes..." Twilight replied with a soft voice. "She'll only be here for a week. Then, the guard will take her to Canterlot to await trial." "...only a week?" Spike asked wit a worried glance to his mother-figure. "Only a week." Twilight hugged the drake to her gently, stroking his spines reassuringly. "... you have a plan?" Spike asked after a moment. "Yes," the alicorn replied with a sigh. "It might work, but I need you to play along until then. Can you do that, my number one assistant?" "I guess... but..." Spike pushed away from Twilight. "I just want you to know... that I expect a nice, big gemstone under my pillow after all this." "Oh Spike..." Twilight laughed softly. "Sure..." "Ok. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to those pancakes," he said, walking proudly into the kitchen. Twilight gave one last look over the library before letting out a sigh of worry. She hoped everything would go according to plan. Meanwhile, Spike's proud march had devolved into a somewhat scared scurry back to the stool. He kept his eyes on the skillet, and tried not to seem to noticeable: an art form that he did pride himself in. He glanced occasionally to the mare at the table. From behind, she looked like a normal mare. Her bright yellow mane hid most of the strange and almost alien features about her body. His eyes stared for a moment before a sharp grumble snapped him out of the trance. "Darn it..." she sighed. Spike, now curious, picked up a plate of pancakes and brought it to her. "Here," he said hesitantly. "H-hope you like pancakes..." He casually glanced at her. Upon spotting the claw, he felt a slight chill go up his spine. Upon further inspection, a fork lay adjacent to it. Meanwhile, Twilight stood just beyond the threshold, watching and listening. "I think so..." the azure mare hummed. She tried picking up the fork, only to have it clatter onto the table. She tried once more to pick up the silverware only to fail once more. "Grrr..." "U-uh, hey!" Spike said nervously, getting the full attention of the mare. "Wh-why don't you use your magic?" He swiped away a drop of sweat on his brow nervously. The last thing he needed was an angry, lethal pony on his claws. "Magic?" the azure mare echoed in confusion. "W-well, yeah. You are a unicorn..." he explained with a sheepish chuckle. The Azure mare thought for a moment and looked back to the fork. She stared at it for a long time, concentrating on it. After nearly giving herself a headache, she let out a long sigh. "I don't think I have magic..." she said with a little disappointment. Spike, feeling a slight pang of guilt, thought for a moment. "Look here," he said while grabbing another fork. "Just hold it like this..." "Um..." She carefully grasped the fork and attempted to mimic Spike's own claw. "L-like this?" "Yeah," he said with a little smile. "Now take it and just cut a little bit of the pancake off..." Twilight watched the entire ordeal from the other room. She stood in deep thought, observing the mare closely. She made note of several things about the prisoner. For one, she could not use magic. Twilight noticed the horn, but it was unlike any horn she's ever seen. The princess also distinctly remembered her using magic the day prior. How could she use magic then, but not now? Questions like these swirled around in her mind. After a few seconds, she decided that she needed more information about the mare before she could make any conclusions. With a deep breath and a very well practiced smile, she entered the kitchen to join her assistant and her temporary house guest.