Secret Agent: 0CT

by Jeweled Pen

Into The Castle

Vinyl shoved the inner door to the castle open, though technically it was the outer door after the renovations the alibot had made. She looked around warily.

The place looked rather nice, with polished marble walls and steps, no dust and clean stained glass windows. There was a small, almost soothing hum in the air, caused by the magic coursing through the walls and floor. “Wish I had a place like this. Self cleaning would make it so much easier...” she muttered as she steeped deeper into the castle.

The room she entered had multiple doors, some leading forward and to each side. There were also curved stairs that led up to the second floor. The walls were blank, aside from the thick glass and mirrors that seemed to line almost every wall. To her surprise, there wasn't a single statue or portrait anywhere. Plenty of places where they could have been, though. She could almost make out the indents where they would have once hung, though the walls showed no sign of wear and tear.

She took a few steps forward, looking around. “Okay. First floor first. Locked doors,” she said with a smile before trotting around the room clockwise. They all opened to large, empty rooms until she came to the one opposite where she entered and directly between the stairs. “Hah!” She turned and gave it a buck. Magic coursed through her hooves before shooting up her legs. She went flying across the room, landing in a heap of pain, face first. “O-ow... o-okay. Time to... try another way...” she said with a groan before getting to her hooves.

Vinyl hummed as she looked around. She finally settled on one of the mirror, grinning wickedly as she reached for it, before shaking her head. “No no. Seven years bad luck. Best not to tempt fate.”

“Oh? But you're so very good at it,” Octavia said from behind her.

“Don't worry, Octy. I've got this. I ca-- Octy?” Vinyl turned around and leaped, tackle hugging the mare. “You're okay! I thought you'd gotten captured of blown up or fallen down a well!”

The mare paused and stared down at her with a cocked eye. “Of course not. I was merely indisposed. Come on, let's go.”

“Woo hoo!” the unicorn said happily, before pausing. “Wait, so you aren't going to tell me to run, or hide, or wait for you to come back?”

“Would you rather I did that?” the earth pony asked with a cocked eye.

“What? No! Of course not! So, where to? The locked door, right?”

Octavia slowly nodded. “Yes. The horn is down there...” She pulled out a small blue orb and held it to the door. A moment later there was a click and the door swung open.

“Cool, where'd you get that from?” Vinyl asked with a grin, before frowning. “Hey, where'd your tie go?”

“I lost it. I got this up stairs. I had to deal with a few... unmentionables, but we should have a clear way through now. Dr. Athruz is indisposed.”

Vinyl nodded as she trotted down the steps. Fresh torches had been lit as well. The steps were the same marble as the rest of the castle. She looked around as she went, gently nibbling on her lower lip. “You sure it's down here?”

“Yes. I can guarantee it.”

“How? Did they tell you? Who'd you fight up there?”

“Dr. Athruz. It's been dealt with.”

Vinyl nodded and sighed. “So ummmm... all we gotta do is grab the horn and get out of here, right? Nothing else?”

“Nothing else. We grab it and go.”

“Sooo... what happens to the barrier outside when we get the horn?”

“It'll likely dissipate soon after we grab the horn. We'll have to move fast to get back to our submarine. Assuming you want to live.”

Vinyl slowly nodded as they came down to the bottom of the steps. She let out a soft gasp.

The chamber they entered had mirrors on all three walls, reflecting the contents of the room. A single white podium stood with a golden and gem encrusted horn, long enough to put even the princesses' horns to shame, hovering over it. In fact, it was long enough that most ponies would have had to duck before going through the door. She sighed and moved forward, feeling another tingling sensation as she stepped closer. “Is... that it?”

“Yes, now take it,” Octavia said. She stood at the bottom of the steps, not stepping into the room. “Well?”

Vinyl moved closer to the hovering horn. She reached a hoof out towards it, before pulling back. “Are... are you sure? I mean, shouldn't we prepare first? Study it? Find out a bit about it?”

“No! Just take it and let's go!” Octavia hissed.

Vinyl sighed and reached out a hoof, the tingling increasing. She pulled her hoof back again. “I... I don't know. Are you sure? I mean, if it's this easy, why didn't others take it?”

“Only a unicorn can go past the enchantments blocking it. It has to be you. Go! Hurry, we don't have forever!”

Vinyl reached out and paused again. She blinked a few times and pulled a hoof back. Slowly she backed away from it. “Something about it... doesn't feel right. Are you sure? I mean... they had a unicorn with them, didn't they? Dr. Alicity's assistant was a unicorn. Why couldn't she do it?”

The mare sighed. “Because her blood wasn't right. Hurry, we don't have much time. Dr. Athruz won't be gone forever. I only knocked him out.”

Vinyl nodded and took a step forward. “F-fine... after this, let's go get some pizzas, okay?” She gently ground a hoof into the ground.

“Whatever you like. Once the world is safe we'll get a hundred pizzas.”

“With extra cheese?”

“Whatever you like.”

“Can we get some sundaes too? Hey, we can split a banana split! Extra whipped cream?”

“Sure. I love whipped cream. Now grab the horn so we can go.”

Vinyl slowly nodded. She then whipped around and lunged forward, tackling the mare into the ground. Octavia let out a startled shriek, shaking her head. “Vinyl, have you gone mad? What are you doing?”

The unicorn glared, her horn glowing. “Octy's allergic to dairy.” She shot down a beam of red magic into the mare, making her scream. “I know over a dozen offensive spells. Who are you?”

“I-I am O-Octavia, you fool!” the mare screamed. “I wasn't listening to what you said! I-I just wanted you to grab the horn!”

Vinyl glared. “Fine then, answer a few questions.” She didn't move from her position, her hooves pinning the mare down. “If you're the real Octavia, you'll have to remember them.” She leaned in close. “What was it that led to our truce?”

Octavia glowered. “Vinyl, we don't have time for this, just--”

“Answer the question or I start zapping...” Her horn glowed threateningly.

Octavia sighed and tried to think for a moment. She slowly nodded. “Your... parents.”

Her hoof slackened slightly. “What about my parents?”

“We had to call a truce to save them.”

Vinyl blinked and slowly nodded. “Oh...” A grin flashed on her lips as she jammed her hoof down on the mare's throat. “Where's Octavia? Don't think just because I'm not one of them secret agents I won't snap you like a twig. I've been through more training than any pony has a right to.”

“Grrk... b-but V-vi--”

“Don't. I've not an—”

Octavia's eyes glowed green before she sent a blast of green energy into the mare, sending her hurtling backwards. Vinyl landed on the ground with a groan, her eyes little swirls as she tried to refocus. “W-wha... was the... license on that carriage...” she said softly.

Octavia growled and got to her hooves, trotting down the stairs. She stopped at the bottom step, letting out a curse. “Very well, Vinyl. You've figured it out. I'm not Octavia.” Her voice got deeper and harsher. “But that doesn't matter. If you ever want to see your precious little agent 0CT again, you'll grab the horn and give it to me. If you don't she di-- eep!” The earth pony found herself suddenly trampled by the mare.

Vinyl's horn glowed with magic as she began shooting small balls of energy at the earth pony. “Where is Octy?!” the unicorn roared as she gripped the earth pony by the shoulders and slammed her into the stairs, again and again. After a few powerful, crushing slams she let the mare regather herself.

“Up... up stairs... just... ohhhh... my h-head...” the mare whined, her eyes little swirls.

“Up stairs where?” She lifted the pony's shoulders again.

“S-second floor, locked door, t-take the gem, it unlocks the door!” the mare shrieked, motioning to the gem on her hip.

“Good,” Vinyl said, before stomping on the mare's stomach one last time for good measure, taking the stone in her magic and galloping off. She ignored the moans from below. She took the steps three at a time, practically leaping as she ran, panting lightly by the time she made it back to the main floor. She paused for a moment, before slamming the door shut behind her. “Hopefully that'll lock her up long enough.” She then turned towards the spiraling stairs that led to the second door. “Okay. Don't worry Octy, I'm coming!”

She galloped up the next batch of stairs, only tripping once as she ran. The next floor had three hallways heading deeper into the castle and making her shake her head. She could see half a dozen doors down the nearest one, though the hallways branched off to the right. “This'll take forever...” She hummed for a moment. “OCTAVIA! OCTY! TAVI! MARE WITH THE UP TIGHT FLANK!” she called out, before listening. She waited for the sounds of indignation or anger. But there was none. A cold brush of dread went down her back. “Please be okay...”

She galloped through the hall, shoving open doors and looking into each room as she went. The rooms were all empty, just mirrors, stone and windows. There were plenty of locations where portraits likely once hung, but now they were all gone. The first hall was completely devoid of any locked doors, so she ran to the second. On the third door she slammed face first into it when the knob refused to turn.

Vinyl took a few steps back, dazed and confused. She then shook her head and smiled. “Hah! Gotcha! It's always the middle door... or hall.” She pointed her hoof accusingly at the door. “Now open!”

The door didn't move.

“Oh. Right.” She held the stone aloft. “Now open!” There was a moment for the stone to glow, then the door clicked and slowly opened a few inches. She shoved it open.

A moment later the world exploded around her and she was sent hurtling back against the wall, collapsing on the ground. The world blinked in and out of existence and she saw Octavia walking down the hall towards her.

“You didn't really think it would be that easy, did you? Silly agents...”

The world disappeared into blackness.

Comments

[BleedingRaindrops]

I heard "plan to eliminate all unicorns" and came running. I brought popcorn
th09.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2011/135/2/6/pinkie_popcorn_by_stinkehund-d3gdyb6.png