"A bit late for a meeting don't you think?" The Doctor asked. Miss Yearling shook her head, looking up as stars began to dance in the night sky.
"You are a strange one Doctor, but not quite as strange as Spell Nexus. I am sure you noticed as well." she said, glancing over at him.
"Well, he did seem a bit off, but you know those types." The Doctor shrugged.
"...How old are you Doctor?" Miss Yearling asked suddenly, catching him off guard. He chuckled nervously.
"Why so curious? One would think it rude to try and determine someones age..."
"You aren't a Magian, certainly not a Skyborn and I highly doubt you are a Gaian. And you lack the scent of a Beast. So what are you?" She demanded.
"Allow me a question?"
"Of course."
"What gives me away?" he wondered. She smiled, crossing her arms.
"Your eyes Doctor. They have seen many years of terrible things. One would think you an old man with eyes like that. As for picking out your race...Skyborn have a habit to hover or fidget, we hate being still. Gaian's are calm, gentle, quiet. Magian's walk with power and grace. You do none of this." She explained.
"Well, you've quite the keen eye for a supposed children's book Author Miss Do." The Doctor chuckled, causing her to stare.
"Oh don't get me wrong, you are entirely correct in your assumptions, but don't think me in the dark my dear co-worker. Skyborn fidget you say? You have the control of a militant, only moving when you have to, yet you carry the scent of rain, meaning you enjoy a nice flight among the clouds, making you a Skyborn. On top of you constantly saying that you are one of course...But one who acts like a soldier" The Doctor smirked.
"That doesn't explain how you know who I am..."
"Oh please. The best stories are the ones that are true." he scoffed, causing her to laugh.
"So you've read my stories? And instantly thought them true?"
"Dinky loves them, and I've quite a few stories of my own Miss 'Yearling'."
"I don't suppose you would mind sharing?"
Scootaloo huffed, looking at herself. Rarity had taken it upon herself to stuff her into a custom made tuxedo and then vanished upstairs with Sweetie Belle. She didn't mind getting to spend time with Sweetie Belle, but a date?
I mean...we are kind of dating, aren't we? Isn't this the kind of thing we are supposed to do? Ugh, I shoulda asked Rainbow about this stuff. she argued with herself. She turned to look at herself in a nearby mirror.
Heh...I do look kinda cool in this suit...I guess it isn't so bad. I get to hang out with Belle and I can just tell Twilight that Diamond was still herself She grinned.
"Well, I see someone is enjoying their Tuxedo." Rarity giggled, causing the young Skyborn to squeak and quickly spin around. She opened her mouth to argue, only to stop and stare as Sweetie Belle waved nervously. Her hair had been combed out and straightened, the two tones parted and flowing down her shoulders and partially over the left half of her face.
She stood there in a sparkling white dress, parted along the side to allow free movement of her legs.
"I assumed the two of you would enjoy something more lively than a quiet dinner. So I've given Sweetie Belle some bits and I am trusting her to your care Scootaloo. Don't be out too late now!" Rarity gushed, gently pushing them along. Scootaloo blinked as the door slammed shut, Sweetie Belle gripping the purse Rarity had given her.
"So uh...Y-You look really good." Scootaloo stammered. Sweetie Belle smiled, grabbing Scootaloo's arm.
"You too...Um...Rarity told me they are having a dance off behind Sugarcube corner tonight...We could just sit and eat something o-or maybe just go back to the library, I mean, she did kind of come up with this last minute and I know how much you hate..."
"Belle, its cool. I mean, it was probably a lot of work to get that curl out of your hair and it's pretty cool outside. If you wanna dance I'd love to go." Scootaloo chuckled, gasping as Sweetie Belle hugged her tightly.
"Oh thank you! Lets go!"
Vinyl smiled as she watched Sweetie Belle and her friend make their way into the party.
"Thanks again for lettin' me DJ Pinks, it means a lot." Vinyl said over the music. Pinkie merely winked, making her way through the party to make some more snacks.
Alright, with Belle here that just leaves Rarity. She can probably handle herself...and none of my wards have been triggered... Vinyl lost herself in her thoughts for a moment, blinking as someone tugged on her jeans. Looking down she spotted her sister.
"Sup Belle? Wheres your date?" Vinyl teased.
"I told her I was leaving to get some punch. Um, c-could you play a song for me?" Sweetie Belle stammered. Vinyl knelt down, hugging her gently.
"Of course Belle, just tell me when." Vinyl said softly. Sweetie Belle happily returned the hug before rushing off into the crowd once more.
"Alright, lets kick this party up a notch!"
"Ain't those yer friends?" Applejack asked. Applebloom glanced over, seeing Scootaloo awkwardly dancing, led by a giggling Sweetie Belle.
"Eeyup. Looks like they are on a date or somethin'" Applebloom chuckled, turning her attention back to the slice of cake she had just acquired.
"Heh, soon 'nough that'll be you out there dancin' huh?" Applejack teased.
"Eh, not really. Ain't no one in class likes me cause ah talk funny." Applebloom shrugged. Applejack felt her smile fade away, looking at her daughter. The young Gaian happily chewed away at her cake, content to be the outcast.
"Ya really feel that way?" Applejack asked softly.
"Well ah ain't alone or nothin'. Ah've got Sweetie Belle an Scootaloo. 'Sides, ain't it a bit early fer me t' be thinkin' 'bout boys, or girls ah guess." Applebloom pointed out, grabbing another forkful of cake.
"Yea...ah s'pose so. Ah'm jus' worried 'bout ya is all."
"Well yer my Ma, it's yer job t' worry." Applebloom giggled. Applejack fell silent once more, fighting back her tears as she nodded.
"Mom..."
"Don't 'Mom' me! Why are you in here doing magic?" Spitfire demanded. Rainbow sighed, leaning back on the couch and crossing her arms. Spitfire simply stood there, arms crossed and waiting for an answer.
"I couldn't protect her. When she really needed me all I did was get my ass kicked and watch..." Rainbow grumbled.
"Rainbow..."
"No! Look, I've been studying, and practicing. I know what I can and can't do and thats why I HAVE to get stronger. What if something worse than that attacks? We're still the Elements of Harmony right? We fought off Nightmare Moon and Discord. There's gotta be some other crazy big bad monster just waiting to get a piece of us right?!" Rainbow argued. Spitfire fell silent for a moment, Rainbow shaking her head.
"I'm right aren't I? And you know what else?! Why the heck was Soarin' kept out of the loop huh? He came to check up on me ya know an I told him everything." Rainbow continued. Spitfire slumped down beside Rainbow, hanging her head.
"Dash...I didn't tell him because he deserves to live a happy life. I didn't want you to know. I didn't want any of this...I just wanted...I just..." Spitfire buried her face in her hands as the tears flowed freely. Rainbow swore under her breath, pulling the Skyborn close.
"I'm sorry...I just hate being in the dark. Its not right to take it out on you." Rainbow apologized softly, Spitfire shaking her head.
"You're right though. You deserve to know and so does he. I just couldn't bring myself to drag you two into this..."
"Well it's a bit late for all of that now...Hey, we've got some ice cream in the freezer. Ya know...if you plan on staying a bit?" Rainbow offered. Spitfire sat up, wiping away her tears and nodding.
"T-That'd be great Rainbow..."
"No! look, I've been..." the words faded as the conversation calmed down, a figure in the shadows sighing in relief. It had only one job. Collect the Element of Magic. Anything else had nothing to do with it, just so long as it wasn't spotted. Another pause, it hugged the wall, letting memories flood it before turning towards the stairs. The two Skyborn were busy discussing something on the couch. Now was the best chance.
It snuck along the wall, grabbing the railing of the stairs and hopping over, quickly glancing at the pair of Skyborn. They had yet to notice it. Though they had stopped arguing. Taking the front door out was out of the question. A window exit would have to work.
Quietly slithering up the stairs, it found a door, unlocked. A quick muffling spell as a precaution and the door slipped open with ease and was just as quickly closed. The Magian slept relatively silently, suddenly tossing and turning in her sleep before calming down. It held its breath as it moved closer to the sleeping figure, taking a slow breath as it weaved its magic around the Magian. There could be various wards protecting her that would go off the moment she was touched. So it would have to work fast.
With a smirk, and its work done, the spell was applied, a simple Mana Blocking Hex and a net placed above it. With one last slow breath the spells were applied, the Hex shifting into place and the net snapping tight, held in its magic as it rushed for the window. Even without looking it could tell the Magian had been awoken by the Hex and was struggling against it.
"RAINBOW! SPIKE! HELP!" The Magian screamed. With no other choice now, it leapt out the window, hitting the ground and rolling before taking off towards Everfree.
"RAINBOW! SPIKE! HELP!" Twilight screamed, moments later the sound of glass shattering echoed through the library. Rainbow grit her teeth, taking the stairs four at a time and bursting into the room. Glancing around she found the window broken and hurled herself out of it, spotting Twilight being carted away by some shadowy creature in what looked like a net made out of Mana. She gritted her teeth, flying after it and wincing as her body spasmed in pain, her wings flickering out and the Skyborn plummeting to the ground.
She grunted as Spitfire caught her, setting her down gently.
"We have to go after her!" Rainbow yelled, stumbling and falling to her knees.
"You need to recover Rainbow, you can't go chasing after things like that. Not right now. Go find your friends, we'll chase that thing down, alright?" Spitfire said, pulling out her phone. Rainbow stared for a moment at the dirt where Twilight had been dragged. She barely heard Spitfire speaking to the other Knights over the phone. Her mind was only on one thing.
I failed again...
Spike froze, his eyes wide and his fist clenched. The words repeated themselves over and over in his head.
Spike, it's Spitfire, Twilight's been kidnapped by some shadow creature. I'm in pursuit, Everfree. Rainbow is gathering the Element Bearers
He slammed the phone shut, standing from his seat to Fluttershy's surprise.
"I-Is something wrong?" she stammered. He paused, putting on a smile for her.
"No, everything is fine. I just need to tend to some business real quick. I uh...dunno how long it'll take though..." Spike chuckled nervously.
"O-Oh I see, that's okay! I'll um...just clean up..." She mumbled.
"I'll come back." he said softly, making sure to stay calm as he walked for the door. Only when he was beyond the garden did he let the panic set in. Had Vinyl been right? And if so, how had Spitfire been the first to react?
On top of that, he couldn't call Vinyl in, she was, by all means, off duty to take care of her sisters.
Although, if the Elements gather to go after Twilight, then Vinyl will have to go along to protect her sisters. Fuck it He pulled out his phone, dialing quickly.
"Vinyl, they've got Twilight. Protect the other Elements at any cost" he ordered. Vinyl sighed on the other end.
"You got it bossman, never was one for rules," Vinyl chuckled as she hung up. With that taken care of, Spike took off into Everfree, shifting once he was hidden in the trees and latching onto the scent of Lavender and Honey.
"I'm coming Twilight, just hold on!"
"Shy!" Rainbow called out, Fluttershy blinking in surprise.
"Rainbow? Whats going on?" She asked, squeaking as Rainbow grabbed her shoulders.
"Twilight's been kidnapped, we gotta go after her!" Rainbow said in a panic, dragging Fluttershy towards the door.
"No." Fluttershy said suddenly, stopping and causing Rainbow to stumble.
"W-WHAT?! What do you mean no?!" Rainbow yelled. Fluttershy smiled, shaking her head.
"She'll be okay Rainbow. Spike ran out after her just a while ago...I knew something had upset him...he just said it was business he had to take care of...but when he got out there he just took off like it was really important." Fluttershy explained. Rainbow swore under her breath.
"Doesn't matter. We're still going to do SOMETHING Shy." Rainbow argued.
"Like what Rainbow?" Fluttershy asked, hanging her head. She rolled up her sleeves, showing the large bandages and stepped forward, lifting up Rainbows shirt to show bandages around her stomach.
"What are we going to do Rainbow? Throw ourselves into danger and have to stand there while the Knights struggle to save not only Twilight, but all of us as well?" Fluttershy demanded, tears in her eyes.
"Shy...I...I can't stand by and do nothing..."
"Then we won't. We'll get everyone together, and we'll be there for Twilight when Spike brings her back. We'll only be in the way if we go after her." Fluttershy said softly. Rainbow sighed in frustration, shaking her head.
"Fine..."
"Well ain't this a surprise. What are ya'll doin' here?" Applejack asked with a smile as Fluttershy and Rainbow stepped into the party. Her smile faded as she noticed their faces and the dried tears on their cheeks.
"Is everythin' alright?" Applejack wondered.
"Twilight's been kidnapped. The Knights are going to save her." Fluttershy said in a whisper. Applejack blinked, clenching her fists.
"Well we gotta go help em!" she yelled, crying out in pain as Fluttershy gently poked her rib.
"We won't be any help to them Applejack. They would just have to rescue us with her."
"Well then what do we do?" Applejack demanded. Fluttershy looked out across the party.
"We play the part. Whoever has Twilight wants us to panic. So we stay calm, we stay with the children, and we keep our eyes open." Fluttershy whispered. Applejack sighed, finally nodding.
"Alright, but ah'm gonna go get Rarity." Applejack argued, Rainbow nodding agreement.
"I'll stay here, you two go together." Fluttershy said with a smile. The two of them returned the smile for a moment before rushing away from the party. Fluttershy took a seat, smiling as kids danced and played nearby.
"Ahh, this is just what I needed..." Rarity murmured as she sipped her tea.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
"I knew it was too good to be true..." she sighed, setting her tea down to answer the door. She smiled as she spotted Applejack, pausing when she noticed Rainbow looking a bit worse for wear behind her.
"This is an unexpected visit, is something the matter?" Rarity wondered.
"Twilight's been kidnapped, Spike an them have gone after her. Ah jus'...Ah jus' had t' come make sure ya'll weren't next" Applejack said softly, hugging her. Rarity gently returned the hug, looking over at Rainbow.
"I see...And why have you two not chased after her? Despite your condition, I would think the two of you would be the first to get involved" Rarity pointed out.
"Because Fluttershy has a point..." Rainbow grumbled.
"What she means is that we had a talk with Shy 'fore we got here. We'd jus' get in their way as we are now..." Applejack explained.
"I see...and what would've been your plan had I also been missing?" Rarity wondered.
"Ah woulda chased after ya no matter what."
"Even if you were in the way?" Rarity smiled. Applejack paused, turning to Rainbow.
"A-Ah...yes..." Applejack admitted. Rainbow swore under her breath, punching the door.
"Yes well, I doubt there is much we can do. And even if I were also missing, I wouldn't want you putting yourself in harms way in your condition Applejack. Though it warms my heart to know you'd risk so much for me. So what is our plan now?"
"We go back to Shy and keep eyes on the kids. We act like we are in the dark about Twilight and we wait on the knights." Rainbow growled. Rarity wanted to argue, but it really was the best option. If someone had managed to grab Twilight of all people, how would they fare any better?
"Very well. But should we hear nothing within the hour I say we throw caution to the wind." Rarity winked as she walked past them.
It was too dark.
"Damnit..." Spitfire swore under her breath, stopping in midair and trying to find the trail again. Had the creature turned at some point? She couldn't risk using any light, or she would give herself away.
"This way," Spike growled in the darkness. All she could see were his emerald eyes.
"I'm running blind in here Sir." She whispered. Spike simply nodded.
"Try to keep up, if things get out of control, follow the sounds of fighting." he growled, taking off into the forest. She sighed, doing her best to keep up with him, only able to manage to keep up by the faint scent of smoke and rustling among the forest. A dim glow out of the corner of her eye caught her attention, causing her to pause. With a gasp she glanced around for Spike.
"Sir wait!" she hissed, drawing her pistol. Spike froze, slinking into the shadows.
"Finally, our moment has arrived. Bring forth the Armor." Spell Nexus ordered, hidden within his ceremonial robe. Four others in robes carefully carried Nightmare Moon's armor into the center of their circle where Twilight Sparkle sat, still trapped and held in place by the shadow creature.
"Whatever you are planning with that armor, it's a bad idea!" Twilight yelled, wincing as the Shadow sliced into her cheek.
"You will remain silent Magic. Your words aren't required for you to serve your purpose to our Queen." Nexus hissed. Twilight grit her teeth, but remained silent, trying to make out the figures in the darkness, gasping as the shadow blocked her vision.
"Everything is ready Master."
"Good, gather the sample." Nexus ordered. Twilight flinched as she felt something cold against her cheek.
"We will need more than that." Nexus growled, Twilight crying out as a blade dug into her arm, her body shaking as she struggled against the creature holding her.
"Good, now, the Armor..." Nexus said, directing the robed figures around the circle, applying Twilight's blood to each piece of armor. Together they stood within the circle, each surrounded in Mana and placing their magic around the armor. A chant filled the air, the clouds parting to reveal the full moon above them.
Spell Nexus grinned as a storm grew around them, lifting the armor into the air. He raised his hands as lightning struck the armor and then Twilight, the Magian screaming as the magic from the five gathered in the circle sunk into her skin. She watched weakly as Mana was pulled from her, slowly taking shape in front of her.
Darkness slowly consumed her senses, leaving her to slump against the shadow that held her.
Spike swore under his breath as he leapt from the shadows, Spitfire covering him from the safety of the trees as he tore his way into the circle. He stood on his back legs, letting out an impressive roar and filling the sky with flames. He hunched over Twilight, glaring at the figures hidden within their robes. He yelped as a spell smacked into his side, turning to glare at the Magian, only for another spell to pelt him.
He threw himself over Twilight, acting as a shield for her and racking his brain for a plan of action.
"We need to leave!" one of them cried
"But the ritual!" a woman argued, more spells pelting against Spike's scales, keeping him trapped on the defensive. In the dark as they were, only his flames and the glow of magic would give Spitfire a chance at assisting him. And it would be difficult to tell everyone apart as anything more than shapes in the darkness. Spitfire couldn't shoot for fear of hitting Twilight. So he was on his own.
At least, that's what he thought. Spike shifted his gaze as a figure dive-bombed into the circle, burying its feet into the head of one of the robed figures. The wounded Magian raised her hands to counter, only for a rope to latch around her wrists and tug her to the ground.
"INCOMING!" Vinyl laughed as she danced into the fray, hooking an arm around a robed figure and spinning in place, chucking him into another, the two skidding into a tree. The final two stood side by side.
"This isn't the end!" One of them screamed before they vanished, the other robed figures disappearing as well. Spike panted slightly as he shifted back to normal. He looked down at Twilight, finding a bad cut on her cheek and a worse one along her arm. But otherwise she was alright.
"Is she okay?" Rainbow asked in a panic.
"She'll live. Vinyl, take us home." Spike ordered, the Magian saluting as she surrounded everyone in her magic, teleporting them into Rarity's workshop where the mentioned Magian was standing with Fluttershy.
"I see everyone is in one piece." Rarity sighed in relief.
"What happened to your orders?" Spike asked. Vinyl shrugged.
"They tricked me," Vinyl chuckled, patting Rarity's shoulder. Rainbow held up her hand, surrounded in Mana. But something about it seemed...different.
"You shared Mana with her...and then vanished..." Spike realized, turning to Rarity.
"I realized we couldn't stay away Spike. So, we put together a plan of action..."
"This isn't right. We should be out there!" Rainbow yelled, punching the wall.
"Well, it's like Shy said, we ain't gonna be much help, are we?" Applejack asked.
"Rainbow...your wounds aren't quite as serious as ours, are they?" Rarity wondered.
"Yea...I didn't really do much..." Rainbow grumbled.
"That's not what I meant Darling. I mean, your magic isn't as affected as mine or Twilight's." Rarity argued gently.
"Yea, so?" Rainbow asked.
"Perhaps there is something we can do. But we'll have to be careful of course." Rarity smirked as she took a seat.
"What happened t' stayin' out o' harms way?" Applejack grinned.
"Oh I meant all of that, but I refuse to simply sit around and do nothing while those ruffians do whatever it is they are planning with our friend. Now listen carefully...this is a spell my family has used to keep track of one another. Something my mother once used if we ever got lost..." Rarity exhaled slowly, her eyes glowing dimly. She held out her hand, a small sphere taking shape and showing an image of Sweetie Belle laughing with Scootaloo.
"Its a tracking Spell." Rainbow realized. Rarity nodded, closing her eyes.
"You need to focus on only Twilight, everything about her, and let her pull you to her." Rarity explained.
"You know the spell, why can't you?" Rainbow asked.
"Because me and Twilight are but friends Rainbow. I know very little of her. Her mannerism's, her worries, her feelings. These are things you SHOULD know, being as close to her as you are." Rarity explained. Rainbow sighed, taking a seat in front of Rarity.
"Okay, what about your babysitter? How do we get past her?" Rainbow wondered. Rarity placed her hand on the table and winked.
"Vinyl cheats by searching for my Magical Signature. So, we'll give it to her."
"A Tracking Spell...I just followed her scent without thinking..." Spike mumbled, setting Twilight down on Rarity's couch.
"What about the girls?" Spike wondered.
"Pinkie Pie is doing a wondrous job of keeping things going. Fluttershy and I expected the worst and prepared what we could without causing a panic."
"Look at you Rare-bear. You'd make a good Knight." Vinyl chuckled, lightly punching her shoulder.
"We'll worry about that later. Call Celamont, we need specialists and we need to know what they were doing with that armor."
Spell Nexus screamed in frustration, his followers kneeling before him as he vented his rage.
"Master, the spell might not have finished, but it was definitely cast. Should we return, I am sure we can..."
"SILENCE! We needed more time, a way to give our Queen form. Her magic remains strong there, but it will fade without something to hold it together. If we return in time, they will be waiting for us." Spell Nexus hissed.
"We will have to start anew...We must recover what we can of the Armor. The Element of Magic is still bonded to it...Gather Discords lackeys, tell them to forget his relics for now and focus on returning the Armor to us. I will stay in Eraville to keep up appearances." he ordered them, waiting until they were gone to remove his spell on the room, the illusion of a robe vanishing as he sat on the edge of his bed utterly exhausted.
His plan might've failed now, but he would see it through to the end. Nightmare Moon would rise again.
"Ugh, I'm exhausted!" Scootaloo sighed as she flopped down onto the couch. Rainbow chuckled, ruffling Scootaloo's hair.
"Then go to bed Squirt. You've got School tomorrow ya know." Rainbow pointed out. She nodded, hugging Rainbow before rushing off to her room. Rainbow sighed, making her way upstairs and into Twilight's room. The Magian was still fast asleep, Spike and Vinyl standing guard in the shadows and Spitfire off in Celamont with the recovered armor of Nightmare.
Rainbow sat on the edge of the bed, gasping as Twilight hugged her waist. She opened her mouth to speak, stopping as Twilight began to cry.
"Twilight..." Rainbow sunk into the bed, hugging her close as she cried.
"I should've been up here..." Rainbow mumbled, Twilight shaking her head.
"Y-You couldn't have known." Twilight hiccuped. Rainbow opened her mouth to argue, Twilight glaring up at her through her tears. She fell silent, simply nodding and tightening her hold on her.
"I'm not letting you out of my sight again Twi. Those bastards are gonna have to go through me if they want a piece of you."
"That's what I'm afraid of Rainbow..." Twilight choked out, clinging to her.
"S-Spike couldn't do anything but stand over me...y-you all had surprise on your side, but what happens next time? What if they come when we're asleep? What if they take Scootaloo? What if someone gets hurt because of me?" Twilight demanded.
"I thought about that a lot when Rarity was little." Vinyl spoke up, looking out the window.
"And I realized I didn't have a choice in the matter. I could stand around worrying about what if's, or I could do something about it. You want them safe, then keep them safe Sparkle."
"Hey!" Rainbow turned to glare at the vampire, but she was gone, as was Spike. She turned back to Twilight, the Magian seeming lost in thought, though she still clung to Rainbow like her life depended on it.
What the heck did those bastards want? Were they trying to steal her magic? And why'd they need that freaking armor for it? Rainbow growled to herself. She winced as Twilight tightened her grip, but refused to let her see.
"Get some rest Twi'...We've got your back, kay?" Rainbow whispered. Twilight reluctantly nodded, letting weariness take over as she leaned into Rainbow.
"It had to be him." Vinyl growled. Spike shook his head, holding up a folder.
"Spell Nexus has an alibi, he was at the Mayor's Office since this afternoon working on his idiotic lesson plans." Spike scoffed. Vinyl looked through the folder, seeing that most of it was Magic related.
"They aren't gonna understand any of this crap. Hell I barely understand any of this crap. Besides, anyone could've written this. Its too coincidental Boss. First the incident with the Armor in the labs, then Discord showing up, then Nexus getting into Eraville and now the Armor coming back into play? I call bullshit." Vinyl argued, tossing the folder back.
"As it stands we have nothing physical on him and we can't go off a hunch. There are still the others to be accounted for as well. There were five of them there, all powerful Magian's, they managed to peel off some of my scales with those bolts." Spike sighed. Vinyl watched him for a moment, crossing her arms.
"So what do we do?"
"We wait Vinyl. That's all we can do now."
"What am I...doing here?" Twilight mumbled as she looked around. One moment she had been curled up against Rainbow, the next she was standing in the middle of nowhere. There was something familiar about this spot though...She took a few steps forward, trying to recall, gasping as something crunched under her foot. She took a step back, blinking as she found a marking on the ground. She knelt down in front of it, brushing her hand over it and shivering as she recognized a faint hint of Mana residue. A powerful spell had been used here.
This is...
She jumped as she heard rustling nearby, summoning up her magic despite the throbbing pain it brought. She prepared herself to fight, until the sound of crying reached her ears. She hesitated, keeping a tight hold of her magic as she moved towards the shifting bush. She sucked in a breath, pulling the bush open and staring in surprise at what she found.
Trapped in a bundle of thorns was a young girl with shoulder length blue hair, her face dotted with gentle freckles that seemed to pop amidst her mocha brown skin. Tears stained her cheeks as she struggled in the vines, crying out as they tore into her.
"H-Hold on! I'll get you out!" Twilight cried, causing the girl to pause and open her eyes. Twilight froze once more as she caught sight of the girls eyes. They were eyes she had seen before. They were the eyes of Nightmare.
The girls lip wobbled as Twilight simply sat there staring at her, forcing Twilight to act.
Maybe she's like Spike? But what would a dragon-kin be doing out...wherever we are? Twilight wondered as she grabbed at the thorns, wincing as they bit into her palms. She carefully looped her magic around a few more, working as quickly as she dared until the girl was freed. She smiled, gasping as the girl latched onto her, hugging her tightly.
"It's alright...My name is Twilight...whats yours?" she asked softly. The girl hiccuped, sitting down and rubbing at her cheeks. She glanced at her hands and then at herself, looking back up at Twilight before she started to cry again.
"Shhh, its okay! Take your time" Twilight said quickly, hugging the girl close. She sniffed and clung to Twilight, shaking against her.
"It'll be okay..." Twilight promised, running her hand through the girls hair.
Even her hair seems like...But that doesn't make any sense. Her curiosity piqued, Twilight glanced at the girls shoulder, finding what she expected. A marking sat upon her shoulder, showing her to be a Magian. With a lump in her throat, Twilight leaned forward over the girl, looking past a tear in the blue shirt the girl wore. Sure enough, an Avaros marking sat between her shoulders. And if she had to guess, she would say the girl had the markings of a Gaian as well.
"Do you know how you got here?" Twilight asked slowly.
"N-No...I-I just w-woke up in there." the girl sobbed. Twilight sighed in relief. The girl could speak.
"I kind of just woke up here too." Twilight admitted, the girl glancing up at her.
"Do you...know your name?" Twilight asked. The girl shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes once more. Twilight smiled, running her hands through the girls hair again.
"It's okay. I'm sure you'll remember...We should probably get somewhere safe" Twilight spoke softly, not wanting to scare the girl. Though her thoughts were a wreck. How did she get here? How did this girl get here? Why was she a Celestian? Why did she have Nightmare's eyes?
And why was she so desperate to protect her?