The Path of Absolution - Punishment

by Morningstar1337

xxv - Ariadne and the Red String

In Canterlot, Lyra Heartstrings was playing her lyre. She was waiting for Bon-Bon. She heard something in the distance. She stopped playing her instrument and went to investigate.

She saw Princess Cadence in front of a cave, along with Minuette and Twinkleshine, her fellow ex-bridesmaids.

She noticed something different about the two smaller mares. They looked odd. Lyra hid behind a corner and looked at what they were doing.

---

Meanwhile, Bon-Bon was inside a store looking for replacement strings in case Lyra’s lyre had a broken string. She wanted to cheer her up. She saw that most of the string had sold out, and there was only some peculiar red strings left.

She went to the shopkeeper and said, “Hey, do you know what these strings are?”

The shopkeeper took a look at the strings. “Those are called ‘Orphean Strings.’”

“Orphean Strings?” Bon-Bon asked.

“These strings are named for a pony, whose lover Princess Luna helped rescue from a terrible nightmare,” the shopkeeper said. ”It’s been said that these strings were used in a spell used to enter the minds of other ponies.”

Bon-Bon was a little skeptical. She looked at the scarlet strings again.

---

Back at the cave, Lyra looked at what Cadence was doing.

“Okay,” Cadence said. “Your job is to make sure the real princess and Twilight do not escape the mines. Understand?”

“Yes, mistress,” Minuette and Twinkleshine said in a drone-like voice.

“Good,” Cadence said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a wedding to go to.”

Cadence left.

Lyra thought, ‘Real Princess? What does that mean?’ She took a look at the cave. ‘I’ve never realized that this princess was despicable enough to hold prisoners.’ She realized something. ‘I’ve gotta go tell Bon-Bon!’

She galloped away to find Bon-Bon.

---

Back at the store, Bon-Bon wondered if Lyra would want to use these strings. She decided to buy them. “How much do they cost?”

“About ten bits a set,” The shopkeeper said.

Bon-Bon counted her change and handed the shopkeeper one hundred twenty bits. He gave Bon-Bon twelve sets of strings in return. ‘These should last Lyra a while,’ she thought as she put the strings in her bag.

The shopkeeper said, “Thank you for your purchase. Are you gonna attend the wedding?”

“No thanks. I don’t think my friend would like that.” Bon-Bon left the store.

A moment later, she saw Lyra galloping towards her.

“Bon-Bon,” Lyra said. “There you are.”

“Lyra?” Bon-Bon said. “What’s going on?”

“You have to see this!” She exclaimed.

Lyra led Bon-Bon back to the cave.

---

In the mines, Twilight and Cadence were still talking about what happened the previous day as they searched for an exit.

“So the windigos had returned?” Cadence asked.

Twilight nodded.

“Wow,” Cadence said.

“We better hurry,” Twilight said. “I fear something bad will happen if we don’t stop them in time.”

They searched again for a way out.

---

Lyra and Bon-Bon were near the cave. There they saw Minuette guarding the entrance. Her eyes were an unusual shade of green.

“Somepony’s guarding a cave,” Bon-Bon said. “So?”

“It’s one of Cadences bridesmaids. She was put on guard there by the bride,” Lyra whispered. “I heard them talking about keeping some prisoners there.”

Bon-Bon said, “Well, That’s a little ridiculous. I know she’s been mean to you, but--”

“Who goes there?”

Minuette saw Lyra and Bon-Bon.

“Oh horse apples,” Lyra said.

“The bride has order me to make sure nopony enters these caves. You are trespassing. Leave or I’ll sic the royal guard on you,” Minuette said.

The two mares gulped. “Yes, ma’am.” They went away from the cave.

“Okay,” Bon-Bon said. “Something is going on here.”

“You think?” Lyra said.

“We need to investigate,” Bon-Bon said. “Something is going on here.”

“But we can’t get into the cave without the royal guard at our throats,” Lyra said.

Bon-Bon had an idea. “I’ll be right back.” She galloped to the castle.

---

Applejack was in the kitchen, going over the food one last time. “Okay y’all, this is the last time we check the food before the wedding starts in a few hours. And--”

Applejack saw Bon-Bon enter the room. “Um, is there anything you need?”

Bon-Bon said, “I’m gonna need that pan over there.” She pointed to a cooking pan next to the loaf of bread.

“You mean the bread?” Applejack said.

“No,” Bon-Bon said. “The pan next to the bread.”

“Why?” Applejack said.

“I’d doubt you would believe me,” Bon-Bon said. “But my friend and I saw sompony guarding a cave somewhere, that seems a little suspicious.”

“That does seem mighty strange,” Applejack said. “Why would somepony want to guard an old cave in Canterlot?”

“Apparently,” Bon-Bon said, “she suspects that the bride is keeping prisoners there.”

“The bride?” Applejack said. “That’s ridiculous.”

“So is having green eyes, and I'm not just talking about the irises,” Bon-Bon said.

“But still,” Applejack said. “Why would Cadence keep any prisoners there?” She thought back to the previous day’s rehearsal, to Twilight’s accusing her of doing something to her bridesmaids. “Ain't your friend one of the bridesmaids the princess fired?”

Bon-Bon nodded. “She quit on account of the Princess insulting the dress I picked for Lyra.”

Applejack was a little suspicious. She wondered what was going on in those caves.

She looked at the other chefs, “Can y’all tell the Princess I’m gonna be a little late?”

The other chefs nodded.

“Great,” Applejack took the pan off the wall. “I want to see this for myself.”

Bon-Bon nodded. The two went outside the castle. Outside, the crack in the barrier began to grow.

---

Lyra was near the cave. She kept an eye on the cave’s entrance and its guard.

She saw Applejack and Bon-Bon galloping toward her. She said, “Get down, she’ll see you.”

Applejack and Bon-Bon hid in the bush.

Princess Cadence appeared in front of Minuette. Twinkleshine exited the cave.

“Are the prisoners still contained?” Cadence asked.

“Yes, mistress,” Minuette and Twinkleshine said.

Applejack recognized those two as Cadence’s former bridesmaids. ‘Aren’t they supposed to be fired?’ Applejack thought.

Cadence used a spell on the two bridesmaids. Applejack remembered when she and the others offered to be her new bridesmaids and saw Cadence use a similar spell on them. ‘Good luck, my flank,’ she thought.

The bride had left. Minuette went into the cave, while Twinkleshine stood guard.

The three mares checked if Cadence was gone.

Applejack wanted to make sure if Cadence was lying. She said to Lyra, “Why did you became a bridesmaid?”

“I was asked to become a bridesmaid,” Lyra said. “I accepted because I wanted to pass some time while Ponyville defrosts. Why?”

Applejack wondered how much Cadence had lied. She took the pan and said, “Can you distract that pony over there?”

Lyra and Bon-Bon nodded. Applejack sneaked around.

Lyra and Bon-Bon exited the bush.

Twinkleshine said, “Hold it. What are you doing here?”

“We came here to see this wonderful cave here,” Lyra said.

Twinkleshine moved closer. “Sorry, but I can’t let you move closer into this cave. You are trespassing...”

Applejack sneaked behind Twinkleshine. She gripped the pan with her teeth and made sure not to hit too hard.

“...And another thing. If I see you two anywhere near here during the wedding, I’m gonna call the gu--”

Twinkleshine mumbled as she felt something hit the back of her head. She fainted.

Applejack said, “She’ll be out cold for a while.”

---

Rainbow Dash was practicing again when she saw Cadence fly away from a nearby cave.

‘What’s Cadence doing in that mine?’ Rainbow Dash thought. She flew there to investigate. She saw Applejack with three other ponies, one of them was knocked out.

Rainbow Dash descended and said, “Hey Applejack, what’s going on?”

Applejack said, “It’s a long story. “Can you do me a favor, Sugarcube?”

“Sure,” Rainbow Dash said. “What is it?” She saw Lyra and Bon-Bon were making sure that Twinkleshine was unconscious.

“Can you tell the others that I’m gonna be late?” Applejack said.

“Sure,” Rainbow Dash said. “But why?”

Applejack said, “I just want to be sure of something okay?”

Rainbow Dash noticed something in Applejack’s eyes. ‘It’s about Twilight, isn’t it?”

“I’m not sure,” Applejack said. “Look, just tell the others that I won’t be there on time, okay?”

Rainbow Dash noticed the unconscious Twinkleshine’s green eyes. She wondered if Cadence really had been keeping secrets. She said, “No.”

“Rainbow,” Applejack said. “You have to--”

“Applejack,” Rainbow interrupted. “I’m your friend first, and Cadence’s bridesmaid second.” She thought back to her poor response to Twilight at the rehearsal. She realized that she may have betrayed her friend and her element.

“Wait,” Lyra said. “You’re my replacement?”

“Well,” Applejack said. “We asked to be her new bridesmaids. She said that her old ones used her as an excuse to meet the royalty here.”

Bon-Bon said, “Looks like the other way around, if you ask me.”

Twinkleshine had just awoken. “What just happened?”

“You don’t remember threatening to send the royal guard after us?” Bon-Bon said.

“No, the last thing I remember was the Princess meeting me and Minuette last night” Twinkleshine rubbed her head. “Ow, my head.”

“Sorry ‘bout that,” Applejack said.

Twinkleshine said, “I don’t think I can make it to the wedding rehearsal today.”

“Um, the rehearsal was yesterday,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Really?” Twinkleshine said. ‘Guess I’ve been out longer than I thought.” She left to cure her pain.

Applejack said, “Does anypony have something I can use for a tether?”

Bon-Bon said, “Well, I’ve bought some strings.” She took out a set of Orphean Strings.

Lyra said, “Are those Orphean Strings?”

“That's what the shopkeeper said,” Bon-Bon said. “They were for you. I figured you needed some replacements if the ones on your lyre broke. Come to think of it, I may have bought too much.”

Lyra levitated a pack of string from Bon-Bon’s bad and handed them to Applejack. “Would these do?” she said.

“Huh?” Applejack said. “I couldn’t--” But Lyra kept insisting.

“Why do you need a tether?” Rainbow Dash said.

Applejack accepted Lyra’s offer and fashioned a lasso with the red strings. She used it to rope a stalagmite. She said, “You still have to warn the others. Tug on the string when you return. We’ll tug if we find something, alright?”

Rainbow Dash felt somewhat conflicted, but she at the moment couldn't trust the bride. She said, “You can count on me,” and flew to the castle.

Applejack tied the string to Bon-Bon’s saddlebag, then took the pan just in case.

Applejack, Bon-Bon, and Lyra entered the cave.