Chapter 12
Immersed. A flood of ice cold water. He was being flushed down the largest toilet in the world.
Spike's eyes wrenched open. His head felt full of cotton, and a single thought pounded through his mind.
Water! Water!! Twilight's plan worked! Maybe a little too well...
He was body-surfing through the tunnels like a log flume, crashing against every pipe and exposed brick, riding the cresting wave. In his half-conscious state, the obstacles had felt like nothing more than giant pillows, but the pain was returning.
Then his heart froze. Rarity, oh no!
Spike looked around frantically as he rolled and pitched over and over in the water, catching sight of a shredded evening dress in the white foam. He pushed off the wall, skidding across the surface of the wave, getting his bearings. He had endured any number of hellish trials under Luna's guidance in the past two years, and he'd always been best in the water.
By some miracle, Rarity was not only alive, but conscious. The white unicorn was horse-paddling and kicking and choking like a madpony. Spike aimed, dove, and swept her into his arms. Immediately, the wave overtook them and they were totally submerged.
Spike threw his hand out towards the wall, felt it bounce against the stones, and slammed his claws in with all of his might. He groaned with pain as they slammed to a stop. Spike's joints and body were full of steel needles-- he could feel them grinding against bones, piercing his tissues. But he was tougher than they were, now that the changeling's heart was no longer weakening him. Spike's draconic physiology would eventually dissolve and absorb the needles, in fact. For the time being, it was only pain, and Luna had taught him to endure pain.
The tunnel was wider here, and the water pressure lessened a bit. He held Rarity to his chest. The unicorn thrashed around, searching for air, finding none. She was drowning. Spike leaned his head down and embraced her mouth with his own. Rarity froze, still panicking, but after another terrified moment, finally realized what he was doing. She opened her lips and allowed Spike to offer his breath to her.
The water was his home. It rushed over his gill-fans, eased his wounds, soothed his mind, and refreshed the air he gave to Rarity. Spike ran his hand across her collarbone and found that the changeling's heart had indeed been swept away in the flood.
Spike, you lucky, lucky idiot, he thought. No wonder you're still alive.
Rarity held tight around his neck as a million tons of water tore against them in pitch-black darkness. Spike slammed his other claws into the wall and began walking on all fours back up the tunnel to the surface. He was extremely grateful that he and Rarity had survived the encounter. Exactly who she was at the moment, however, was a question that ate at him with every step.
* * *
Twilight Sparkle sat blindfolded on the marble floor of the atrium.
"Do I really need to explain what's about to happen here?" boomed Shield Banner, as Applejack, Fluttershy, and the rest looked on from across the water. "One thing you ponies ought to know: Celestia forbade me from extending mercy to you. In fact, she ordered you executed on sight. So it is against her wishes that I have tried to end this peacefully again and again. Instead of gratitude, however, I have received insults, demands, threats. Well, I am all out of patience, now.
"I am giving you the same ultimatum I gave your leaders. Deliver the Princess to me immediately. Otherwise, I will execute Twilight Sparkle to ensure that you can't use the Elements against the crown. Then, we will cross the moat and finish the job.
"I don't want any of this to happen. Please, please, don't call my bluff like your leaders did. Save yourselves. You have five minutes, starting now."
* * *
On the other side of the atrium, the ponies were utterly stunned.
"Oh... oh Celestia," said Fluttershy covering her mouth. Pinkie tried to comfort her, while Dash fumed. They couldn't hand over the Nightmare. They couldn't buy any more time. The sight of their friend bound and blindfolded was maddening, terrible.
"Everypony!" said Applejack at last, baring her teeth and pawing at the ground, "get ready to attack--"
"No," said Chyornyj Slon, putting a huge hoof out to stop her. "We are outnumbered. We must remain united front. If any of us attacks now, if we extend ourselves across the water, Twilight Sparkle will die and so will we."
"Then what do we do?" demanded Applejack.
"Nothing," said Chyornyj Slon, his jaw set. "We must do nothing."
"No! Twilight!" screamed Dash. She muscled past Slon and tried to leap into the air, but a loud crack sounded, and she fell to the ground, one wing spasming at the wrong angle. "Gahh!" She slammed her hoof against the flagstones, tears in her eyes, staring at her friend across the churning moat. "Twilight!"
The minutes ticked by.
"I can't stand it!" cried Fluttershy. "I can't do this!" she turned to run, crashing into Applejack, who pulled her into a tight embrace. "Let go of me," said Fluttershy. "Don't make me watch! Please, don't make me watch!" She sobbed into Applejack's shoulder.
Pinkie's eyes were rapt with horror, but she could not tear them away from the scene of Twilight, waiting, waiting. Pinkie knew that if she could only find the humor in the situation, she could save her friend. But there was nothing funny about this... nothing at all, and she was helpless as the rest. For once in her life, the party pony was speechless.
Rainbow Dash cast about with uncharacteristic despair, to find that all her friends had the same looks on their faces. "We've got to do something," said Dash in a ragged voice. "C'mon, please..."
But nopony could think of anything to do.
* * *
"Commander!" said Purple Heart, rushing back through the double-doors.
He found Cinnamon Oatmeal hunched over the Nightmare's prone form.
"Sir...?" said Purple Heart. "What... what are you doing?"
"Hmm?" said Cinnamon, looking up. "Oh, just making sure she wasn't coming to. Can't be too careful."
"Right..." said Purple Heart. "Okay."
He just lied, thought the medic. The Commander just lied to me.
"Uh, sir," said Purple Heart, "we've got a problem out there. You heard what Shield Banner said?"
"Yes," said Cinnamon. "And we have no options. We must let Twilight do her duty."
"I... I figured as much," said Purple Heart. His eyes darted over toward the Nightmare, and strangely enough, the medic noticed Cinnamon Oatmeal unconsciously lean towards her, as if wishing to hide something. On a whim, Purple Heart's eyes flashed gold and he scanned the Nightmare's body.
Her soul was a swirled black-and-blood-red, as usual, but nothing out of the ordinary. Her physical body was identical to his last scan. Even her neural pathways were within control parameters. Okay Heart, he thought. Combat stress. It's causing paranoia. You have to get this under control. His eyes flicked up to Cinnamon, preparing to speak about the situation again, but the words died on his tongue.
Cinnamon's soul was the same black-and-blood-red swirl as the Nightmare's.
"Too much," said Purple Heart. "You drank too much."
"Ah, the undead," said Cinnamon with a smirk. His veins burned like a map of lava-lines. He examined his hooves and wings as if seeing them for the first time. "Not quite as pathetic as the meatbags, but still woefully impermanent. After all, you can still be killed. It just takes a little more effort." His fangs glinted in the low light. Behind him, the Nightmare stirred, began to sit up.
Purple Heart leaped into the air, trying to get away, but Cinnamon had always been a little faster.
* * *
Time was up.
"I wish this was my decision to make," said Shield Banner quietly, just to Twilight. "But the Elements of Harmony are weapons of incredible power, and I must disable them. It was you who attacked the Marenarchy, and Celestia who ordered you killed. I am only the instrument of justice."
"You sound like you're trying to convince yourself," said Twilight. "Either way, I'm all done begging. If you're going to do it, do it. Just know that you're making the biggest mistake of your life, that waiting another hour could have saved the kingdom."
Shield Banner's sword rang like a bell as it cleared the sheath. Twilight heard it spin over and turn upside down behind her back, felt the cold point touch her neck.
"I'll make it quick," said Shield Banner. "Out of respect for your brother."
Twilight Sparkle closed her eyes under the blindfold. No more sleepovers at the library, she thought. No more Winter Wrap-up, no more tea with Rarity, or dinner with the Apple family. No more book club with Rainbow Dash. No more Pinkie parties, no more quiet talks with Fluttershy. And no more Spike-- the only brother I have left.
They were all so much stronger than they knew. Her death did not mean defeat. Her friends would find a way to win this thing without her. They would never give up.
Now that her time had come, Twilight Sparkle was calm. She didn't even flinch as the blade came down on her.
* * *
A single drop of blood. It rolled down Twilight's neck, following the curve of her clavicle. The point had gone in exactly one millimeter before slamming to a halt.
The sword hung in midair, radiating dark blue energy-- a telekinetic field which had swept away Shield Banner's magic like dried leaves. For a moment, it pulsed with light, then the sword flung itself into the churning flood.
A silhouette appeared at the top of an adjoining staircase and a collective gasp swept the room. It was Princess Luna.
The night-sky alicorn descended the stairs, making her way down to the marble dais that rose over the flood waters. It was only when she reached the platform and snapped a glowing orb of moonlight into the air that the extent of her injuries became apparent. The Princess was back, but she was not healed. Her broken wings were bound tightly to her sides, and her horn was swathed in bandages where it had been reattached to her forehead. Her coat was torn and matted. But she was still Luna, and she projected a palpable sense of power and command.
"Your majesty!" said Shield Banner, falling to his knees. The rest of the ponies quickly followed suit.
"Captain," said Luna quietly. "Order your soldiers to stand down. You have been the victim of the Nightmare's manipulation. The Elements of Harmony have been right all along."
"The..." Shield Banner took a step back. Of course, it was always a possibility.
What if I'm wrong, what if I'm wrong. A mantra since the events of the night had taken a turn for the stranger, since Spike and Rarity had cast doubt on Celestia's story. What if I'm wrong... He'd not really had an answer, except to trust his own intuition. Shield Banner's blood rang hollow in his ears. His throat went dry. I've been used by the Nightmare. I've been a tool of evil. A profound sense of unreality swept over him. This was his worst fear come to life.
Then his eyes narrowed, and he recast his gaze at Luna in suspicion.
Luna's laughter was utterly humorless. "Do you suspect me as well now, Captain? Perhaps I am the ringleader of this imagined coup d'etat. Perhaps this was all just the first gambit in some 'War of Lunar Independence?' I promise that if that were the case, Captain, you would already be dead."
Her horn flared like the full moon, and the rumbling of water ceased. The atrium became a still, silent lake, echoing with hollow drips. The storm outside had abated, leaving behind the fresh scent of washed earth.
"I suppose you will be needing this," said Luna, dipping her head, and a delicate glowing sigil lifted from her horn. It floated like a leaf, down into Shield Banner's hoof.
This is accurate, he thought, examining the tiny blue glyph. It's Princess Luna's royal seal. This proves her identity beyond a doubt.
For a moment, nopony in the atrium spoke another word. At last, Shield Banner scraped his wits back together.
"You," he rasped to a nearby sergeant. "Release the Apprentice." The pony leaped to obey. Shield Banner turned to his clerk. "Recall the secret weapon. For goddess sake... do that right away. Inform the medical corps of Rarity's condition. And get them ready to receive Princess Luna, Twilight Sparkle, and Commander Oatmeal as well."
"Don't forget the Nightmare, Captain," said Twilight Sparkle, as her bonds were released. She pulled off her blindfold, to reveal a gaze as cold as violet stone.
Shield Banner nodded, meeting her gaze with one of his own. They were just doing their jobs now. "Somepony inform the diviners that we'll need everything they've got on demonic exorcism."
"Right away, sir," said the clerk. He could barely stop bowing long enough to leave the room.
Luna's horn flared with moonlight and the surface of the water froze over in a blast of divine frost magic. Together with the Elements of Harmony, the Princess of the Night crossed the atrium to stand before Twilight and Shield Banner.
The four Elements immediately swept Twilight up into a tearful hug. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were weeping openly, and Applejack was doing a poor job of holding her own tears back.
Dash was furious. She charged over to Shield Banner and swung on him.
He didn't lift a hoof to defend himself. Dash's strike was a good one, too-- a true aura-charged pegasus punch, crashing against his cheek, cutting his lip open. Shield Banner spit out blood and wiped the back of his mouth with a hoof. Dash went in for seconds, and the Princess stopped her this time.
"I think we've had," said Luna quietly, "enough of that."
Dash pulled her hoof back and rubbed her fore-ankle. For a moment, she stared daggers at Shield Banner. Then she said: "How... how is Spitfire doing?"
"It was touch-and-go at first, but they say she's going to make it," said Shield Banner. "I'll let you know the moment her condition changes."
"Okay," said Dash. "Good." She pointed a hoof at him. "This isn't over between us. Not by a long shot. The Princess won't be there to protect you forever. Uh, no offense, your highness."
"None taken," said Luna with some amusement. She turned back to Shield Banner as Dash stormed off. "I must see Celestia, but first thing's first. I'm afraid under the circumstances, I must relieve you of your duties as Captain of the Guard."
"Of course, your majesty," said Shield Banner. His voice was unwavering, but it sounded far-away in his ears. This was the end of everything he'd spent a lifetime building. "I will submit my resignation at the soonest possible opportunity. May I suggest Hard Target from B Company for my interim replacement?"
"Very well. But you misunderstand, I can not accept your resignation."
"Your highness, I have tried to do the best job I could tonight. I have been overindulgent in my duties, perhaps, but I operated from the most convincing evidence at the time. It was not enough. There is now a severe conflict of interest between the Royal Guard and the Elements of Harmony."
"I'm well aware," said Luna. "That is why I am currently detaching you from the Royal Guard, and reinstating you as a junior member of the Night Guard."
"Your... your highness!?"
"Captain, whatever your crimes tonight, you are Shining Armour's successor and the finest battle-caster in the corps. We simply can not do without you until the crisis is past. And for what it is worth, you should know that I am sympathetic to your situation, and that I am no stranger to extreme measures myself. By grace, I certainly am not. What transpired between you and the Elements is unfortunate. But that is war."
"I'm not sure what to say, Princess."
"Do not thank me yet," said Luna, "for I doubt my sister will agree with my verdict. She rarely does. Come now, Captain, it is time to see what the monster has done to her."
* * *
"Commander Oatmeal," called Luna, as they pushed in through the double doors. "Lieutenant Heart!" But there was no answer. For some reason all of the wall-lamps had been extinguished, and shadows swathed the room in long, dark strokes.
"Something's wrong," said Fluttershy, stopping dead in her tracks.
"No kidding, love," said the agent, straightening his glasses and taking the lead. He was flanked on the right by Chyornyj Slon, and by AJ and Dash on the left. They spread out into the room, everypony on guard.
"Blood," said Slon after a moment. Sure enough, a spray of blood sliced across the shadows on the floor, and a streaking trail led off around the corner.
"Oh, no!" cried the intelligence agent suddenly. His voice was filled with such despair that they all charged over to him, expecting a dead body, or worse. Instead, what they saw was a little circle of ash-piles on the floor. "Oh, goddess," said the agent placing a hoof to his forehead. "Oh, goddess, no."
"What is this??" said Dash.
"My magic dampeners!" cried the agent. "Look at what's become of them! Do you have any idea how long it took me to acquire that many!?? And now they're ruined! Utterly ruined!" He fell to his knees and started scooping the ash into a jar.
Fluttershy looked nonplussed. "You shouldn't scare ponies like that."
"The one who should be scared is the Nightmare," said the agent in a black tone. He turned and the lantern glare in his spectacles obscured his eyes. "She's crossed the line now."
"Commander Oatmeal did this," said Slon walking over to the discarded stretcher. The bindings had been severed by magic.
Applejack arched an eyebrow. "Come again, partner?"
"Negative magic," Twilight spoke up. "He destroyed the orbs with negative magic. It would be the only way."
"'Nightmare's blood causes evil thoughts,'" said the agent. "Isn't that what you said earlier, Slon?"
"Da," Slon rumbled.
"This totally sucks!" exclaimed Dash.
"Y'all," said Applejack, poking her head into the room, "come look at this."
The copious trail of blood led down the hallway, through a door into a restroom, and down into a floor drain. They all looked at it for a moment, letting the ramifications sink in.
"Gross," said Pinkie Pie, at last.
"Looks like they've escaped," said Twilight. "But why escape at all? Why not just attack when Luna is weakest? What is she waiting for?"
"Dawn," said Luna. "She's waiting for dawn."
Their gaze turned up to the skylights. Already, the first rays of the morning pressed against the fading storm. Blue sky peeked through the clouds. It looked like it was going to be a bright and sunny day.
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Picture Credits:
http://pre01.deviantart.net/6156/th/pre/f/2012/098/e/3/rarity_wallpaper_by_zibags-d4vf5e9.png
http://orig09.deviantart.net/8f22/f/2007/337/9/d/xvii__blood_by_kurotsuki003.jpg
http://pre01.deviantart.net/a96b/th/pre/f/2012/353/7/a/luna_cutie_mark_wallpaper_by_phantombadger-d4maqlx.png
http://jamesdwyer.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/red_dawn_1600x1200.jpg
