The Betrayed

by Thadius0

Chapter the Eleventh - Mind over matter

Darkness.
All around her, the world was darkness.
Twilight could see nothing, but felt the wind whipping through her fur. It felt like she was falling at a rapid pace.
This continued for what seemed like an eternity.
And then, there was light.
A far-off speck of light that grew, rapidly.
Then Twilight felt the heat.
That's a star, a sun! she realized.
She briefly got a glimpse of something beneath her before the sensations of falling stopped, abruptly. And all around her was an unfamiliar landscape.
Buildings of stone and glass and metal reached into the black void that was the sky. Sidewalks and paths of black stone formed a grid throughout this place. Each one looked different, but all of them on par with Canterlot Castle in terms of height. And despite there being no sun in the sky, nor moon, no stars, the landscape was lit up perfectly.
If that were all, Twilight could have dealt with it, but she could feel the presence of Abel's massive reserves of magic. It had taken the form of the star she'd seen earlier, and was somewhere down here, in this place, on the surface. The damage it's doing...
And then she heard a voice.
"Oh. Well, that's interesting."
Twilight turned around to see...
"Abel?!"
The changeling, which looked like a healthier version of Abel, waved a hoof at her. "After a fashion. I'm more of a subroutine, a mental failsafe that he put into place when he made the Hive Mind."
Twilight looked around her, at the buildings that stretched into the heavens, before turning back to the changeling. "What is this place? Why is it in Abel's mind?"
The changeling waved a hoof around. "It is a highly structured city, born of Abel's memories. What it is in actuality is simple: We're straddling the line between conscious and subconscious, between voluntary control and involuntary bodily functions. All of this is Abel."
"What are you meant to do?"
"In the event of a total shutdown or mental intrusion, I am to safeguard a significant portion of his memories and see to it that some of them are sealed, even from him, before any other sees them."
Twilight paled. "Why would he want his memories sealed?"
The changeling was about to answer, before a tremor shook the world, and the sound of something collapsing filled the air. "Nevermind. We don't have time for that. Do you have a name?"
"Call me...Data. Why are you in this mind, Twilight Sparkle?"
Twilight pointed a hoof towards where all the heat and light was situated, where she could feel the pressure of Abel's magical reserves on this place. "I'm here to help deal with that. Is there any way left for that magic to be channeled out of him?"
Data pointed in the opposite direction. "He has a few outlets left. They're the buildings that are dark inside. If you can pull streams of it towards yourself and direct it into those buildings, that should help. The one that would help the most, the outlet to the Hive Mind...I can't recall what it looks like anymore."
Twilight nodded. "So, run in that general direction, look for a building without lights on, and direct magic into it, hoping it's the outlet to the Hive Mind. Anything else?"
Data pointed at a small, wooden home that was very weirdly proportioned, as though it were meant more for a minotaur rather than a pony. "That is the one building you are forbidden to enter."
Twilight nodded. Probably the memories Data is meant to safeguard. "Got it."
-----
She didn't know how much time had passed before she found the first building.
All she noticed was that it was dark inside, so Twilight stopped and gathered her thoughts. Focus. Feel his power. Draw it towards you. Direct it. Push it into this part of him.
A stream of gold raced towards Twilight from down the path, but before it connected, it veered off and into the building. It lit up, slowly, but after a moment, the entire building was ablaze with light. Twilight cut the connection, and then she heard a voice.
That wasn't it, but I know it's close, Miss Sparkle! That helped a bit, but not enough! Keep looking!
The sound of Data's voice spurred her on.
-----
It was a short time before she found what could be termed a building in the making.
Only the first floor had been laid, but the scaffolding indicated that more had been planned.
Nonetheless, it was dark, so Twilight figured she could use it.
Focus. Feel. Draw. Direct. Push.
This time, the energy that shot towards her was more like a river, and as it connected, the building...grew.
Twilight got vague flashes, impressions, of Abel, only...it wasn't quite him. Something was off, something was different in every image.
The building finished itself and the lights within were ablaze, and then she heard another voice.
That wasn't it either, and I don't think he'll be pleased about what you did there...The reserves are lower again, but not low enough...
Twilight took off again.
-----
When she came across the wooden house again, Twilight threw up her hooves in frustration.
And then she looked at the house again, and realized that it, too, was dark inside.
Does he not believe in keeping his memories active?
Twilight moved to put power into the house, before a voice cut her off.
"I wouldn't, Miss Sparkle."
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Data sitting there.
"I have done my duty. You have failed in yours."
An icy terror gripped her. Failed...no! I can't have failed! I never fail!
"If you attempt to restore those memories, I will be forced to stop-"
Data didn't get to finish, as a blast of golden magic, directed by Twilight, restrained and silenced him.
I will show you, Abel! I do not fail!
And it was only then that she saw the nearby building that was dark inside, with a small green flame symbol painted on the front.
Directing the magic to what she hoped was the link to the Hive Mind, Twilight pushed the power into it.
Only this time, the lights inside didn't light up. Rather, on the roof of the building, an antenna lit up, and a beam of gold shot into the void above, vanishing into the darkness.
After what seemed like an eternity, the sensation she got from the miniature sun being on ground level nearly completely vanished. Deciding that she could use it for a new purpose now, Twilight ceased feeding magic into the link, and instead directed the power to the small house.
With a small burst, the house was restored in a shower of golden sparkles.
Twilight then directed the magic to heal all that was broken, and she could feel it working to restore all that was lost.
Well, that was draining. I suppose if I go into that building, I'll return to the Hive Mind...
Twilight's gaze wandered over to the small house, then looked around as though she were afraid.
I suppose...a small peek won't hurt.
Twilight carefully opened the door and looked inside. Despite everything being oddly proportioned, one thought ran through her head.
This looks like his home in Ponyville...
Heading to the stairs and finding a basement door in the same place as before, Twilight opened it, noticing there was no smell. Following the eerily similar tunnel down, she wondered what she would find.
When she reached the bottom and looked into the cave, she was confused by the two things located down here.
A mask...but that face isn't a pony's, and it doesn't look like it was meant to go on a pony. It looks like an oval...
And...why a red quill?
The moment she reached out to touch the quill, the world around her erupted with two words.
GET OUT!
-----
Twilight yanked her head back, realizing that she was in her proper body again. Not in the Hive Mind, not in Abel's mind.
It took her a moment to recognize the one in front of her as Abel.
He was...different. Different was a good word for it.
The first thing she noticed was the fact that he was larger. In fact, she would put him on the same size as Chrysalis.
The second thing she picked up on was the fact that his wings were...missing. For some reason.
And then she saw what passed for a tail and mane were still pink, but looked far more...full.
That was when she noticed his eyes were open and staring at and into her.
"What the buck did you do to me?!"
Twilight cringed a bit before replying.
"I tried to get your magic out of your mind and into the Hive Mind so that you could be saved. I, heh, missed...a few times..."
Abel looked askance for a moment and muttered a bit. "Like those damn nurses not being able to find my veins..."
His gaze snapped back to Twilight. "Do you have any idea what you've done?"
Twilight looked at Abel, who, while still having cracks going throughout his body, seemed to be a lot better if he could yell at her. "I'm going to go with saving your life. Is that right?"
Abel groaned and tried to get comfortable. "On one of those attempts that you 'missed', you directed energy into my wings. Not that big a deal. But on the second, you accelerated the ascension process."
Twilight blinked a few times, rapidly. "So..."
Abel sighed and looked to her. "While the ascension process is ongoing, the one undergoing it is allowed to make small changes to their base body. This allows for slight variances between rulers, and most used it for cosmetic purposes. I was going to use it to make red-on-white my default color scheme and to give myself a similar gland that the black changelings have. Afterwards, I would use whatever time was left to increase my capacity to store magic. Now I only have a short time before this form becomes my default one. I would say less than an hour."
Twilight paled. "I...turned you into a-"
Abel cut in. "I have an hour yet. Just...go tell whoever is up there that I'm fine. All the worry and dread is getting to me. But I'd like to keep this hidden for now."
Twilight nodded numbly and made her way upstairs. Rarity and Fluttershy were drinking tea, while Pinkie and Applejack were slowly making their way through a tray of cupcakes. Just as she was about to ask where Rainbow Dash was, the door burst open, and the pegasus and zebra she'd gone to find walked in.
"Ten minutes flat. I told you I could do it!"
"Indeed, your prowess is true, my friend of sky blue. But the reason we are here the most is not because of your boast."
Zecora looked to Twilight as she ascended the basement stairs. "Ah, down there is our changeling friend? Tell me, how long until he meets his end?"
Twilight shook her head. "None, he's...recovered. He's still cracked and injured something awful, but the excess magic has been vented from him. If you have anything that could help him..."
"Indeed, in my satchel I have a salve, it is meant to fix bones broken in halves. While on a changeling such a medicine is untested, such a fact will not say that me it bested."
While the mares were attempting to decipher Zecora's rhymes, she'd already begun the trip downstairs. Recalling Abel's new form, Twilight began to speak out. "Zecora, wa-"
It was too late, the zebra had entered the basement. There was silence for a moment, then a muffled scream and a thump. Twilight moved to the basement door and poked her head in. "Zecora, you okay?"
"Nothing to fear, Twilight dear. While I did take fright, I am now used to this sight."
It was a few more minutes until the zebra walked back up. "Allow the salve to rest on his chitin overnight, and no longer will he look like he lost the world's largest fight."
Twilight nodded and motioned to the door. "Well then, he said that the worry we were giving off was getting to him, and it is rather late. I think we should get to bed. You can all come back tomorrow."
With that, Twilight was alone in the library again, and headed up to her bed.

Comments

[hs0003]

Damn, that is the second time Twilight fucked up in what? 2 minutes?
Anywho, so now Abel is stuck in human form?

[Thadius0]

3774301

"Allow the salve to rest on his chitin overnight, and no longer will he look like he lost the world's largest fight."

chitin

Nope!
Just a full-fledged changeling king now, who has to hurry to make all the changes he wants to his base form before it settles!

[Tome Turner]

I always love mindscape chapters!
They always give you a real abstract vision of the characters true persona.

[shinigamisparda]

It must be hard writing for Zecora. Anyway, this chapter was ok, a bit short for my tastes, but whatever. I wonder if Abel's going to have trouble shrinking himself down to Balanced Books.

[Thadius0]

3775798
Hmm. The effects of his painkiller regimen are still ongoing, and he doesn't know exactly when his new gland will kick in and make shifting painless...
...Yeah, I could have fun with this...
Not now, though. Maybe in a chapter or two.

[Thadius0]

3775229
Remember: It's only as real as you make it out to be.

[Red Bomber]

That... was difficult. I'd put the blame on Data for tricking Twilight like that.

[StarChaser01]

He... he's... oh god... you sneaky bastard...

[Daralyn]

surge - ery was a success. Patient ' s default colorpalette is not red and black