Loyalty

by MidnightDancer

✰˚* ˚

Αφοσίωση έπαιζε άρπα της για την απώλεια και την απώλεια κοίταξε με αγάπη .

---

Twilight Sparkle's eyes fluttered open.

She slammed them shut almost immediately against the bright rays of sun spilling across her bed from the window across from her. "Aughhhh." She pulled a pillow over her head, grumpily. I need to stop staying up late. Every morning she told herself that, and every night she disregarded her own, Twilight internally admitted, sound advice. She shook her head, the last threads of the dream dissipating. Her brow furrowed, sleepy brain trying to chase down the dream and hold it, but it slipped away like dark water no matter how hard she tried.

Giving up on the idea of sleeping in, she rolled out of bed, hooves hitting the floor of her castle bedroom with a sharp clack. As if on cue, a voice floated to her from outside the bedroom.

"Twilight? Hey, Twi, I made breakfast! And I didn't burn anything down, come see!" Spike's voice was full of his usual good cheer, and Twilight smiled.

"There's nothing to burn down, this palace is made of crystal and stone..."

"What?"

"Nevermind, Spike." A quick brush of her mane and tail later, and the newly minted Princess of Friendship made her way down from her well-appointed bedroom to her equally well-appointed kitchen. There she saw Spike, beaming up at her with a large plate of pancakes held in his front claws. Twilight noted with mild concern the scorch marks on the front of his frilly pink apron, but before she could say anything, the tempting smell wafted towards her.

"Oh, Spike, those smell amazing! Let's eat!" The two settled themselves at the smaller kitchen table. Although Twilight now had a large, ornate dining hall in which to take her meals, she still felt more comfortable here. Besides, it's not like I'm entertaining the Princesses or diplomats or anything. It's just me and Spike. At the thought, she smiled warmly. Some things would never change.

As the two did the washing up together, Twilight washing while Spike dried the plates, the alicorn mentally prepared for her day. "So, Spike, did any more books saved from the old tree show up today? I miss Golden Oaks." She looked at her reflection in a wet plate, sighing at her own sad face. "It was just so... me." She turned to Spike. "Is that weird, that I identify with a destroyed library?"

"Gee, you of all ponies feeling a deep connection with a place that number one, was home, and number two, had almost all the books you could ever want? Yeah. Totally weird." Ignoring Twilight's flat glare, he dried the last plate and set it carefully in the cabinet above the toaster. "Anyway, to answer your question, yes. There's a whole box of 'em in Friendship Headquarters, I figured you'd want a look when you woke up."

Twilight started towards the kitchen door, before turning back to look at Spike quizzically. "Friendship... Headquarters? Really?"

He spread his claws out innocently, a nervous chuckle escaping him. "Well, I mean, The Power Ponies have their Headquarters in Maretropolis, so I just thought..."

Giggling, Twilight made her way out to the throne room. "Headquarters. Heh, that dragon." Smiling to herself still, she bypassed her throne in favor of settling on the lush carpeting beside the door. She pulled the crate of precious books towards her, eagerly yanking the top off with her magic. I wonder what got saved? Some of the tomes Princess Celestia sent me? My Magic for Beginners from kindergarten? Oooh, maybe Yaks and You: A Definitive Guide...

Her thoughts trailed off as she spied the first book, sitting innocently on top of the pile. She levitated it in her magenta magic, bringing it before her unimpressed gaze. "Mythical Malcontents: Legends and Myths of Equestria." She shrugged, setting it aside as she continued to unpack her books, carefully organizing them in alphabetical piles.

She'd read Mythical Malcontents, as well as all the other books in the crate, numerous times in the past. Most colts and fillies had. Many of Equestria's educational systems had a module on mythology, and it was a fairly standard, if simple to read, text on the subject.

It was, in fact, one of the first titles aside from Daring Do that Rainbow Dash had read for pleasure, as Cloudsdale education didn't touch too much on the mythology of the ground-bound ponies. Twilight remembered the pegasus declaring how "cool" Zon was, and how "totally uncool" Maan was in the creation myth. She stifled a giggle, looking at the book with much more fondness than before. In fact, she was pretty sure Rainbow Dash had been the last pony to check out this particular book, if her librarian's memory served her right (and it did, of course).

Gripped with a sudden curiosity, she turned from the other books, lifting the book of myths and legends in her magical grasp. She knew that if you were to drop a book on the ground or on a table, it would most likely open to the most read passage. Wincing at her own mild abuse of the book, she did just that.

Αφοσίωση και Απώλεια

Her smile faded. True, it was one of her own favorite romance myths, but given recent... developments, with Rainbow Dash, it made for a somewhat disturbing find. She stood and stared at the open page, shaking her head. Oh, Rainbow...

Her attention was torn from the book, though, at the now familiar warmth on her flanks and the pulsing light behind. She turned, eyes widening as the book was forgotten entirely at her cutie mark's glow. "The map!"

Before she could do anything else, she was bowled over by a world of jumbled pinks as an earth pony barreled through the entrance. "TWILIGHT!" Pinkie Pie lifted the surprised alicorn into the air, pressing her nose to Twilight's purple one, bright blue eyes wide and boring into Twilight. "My cutie mark started glowing so I knew I had to get here to go and fix whatever meaniepants is bothering ponies this week but then I got a shiver-back-twitchy-tail combo at the same time and more and more of my Pinkie Sense keeps happening and—" Pinkie's ramble was cut short as her entire body began to shiver, hooves clacking against the stone floor as her vice grip brought the unfortunate Princess of Friendship along for the bumpy ride.

"P-P-P-i-i-n-k-i-e..." Twilight managed to stutter out, trying to call on her magic to disengage from the party pony.

"I-It's a-a-a-a d-d-d-oooo-z-z-y!" She finally stopped twitching, blinking and shaking her head rapidly before looking down at Twilight, who was still grasped firmly in her front legs. Pinkie Pie dropped the other pony unceremoniously, smiling brightly. "Sorry, Twilight! I just knew I had to get here as fast as I could!"

"So did we." Rarity trotted through the door, followed by Fluttershy. "Has it called all of us, or just us three?"

"I reckon it might just be all o' us." Applejack squeezed through the by-now crowded doorway to the plush carpet. "Betcha Rainbow Dash is gonna be late, though, just as a warnin'."

Twilight stood finally, her legs now sturdy enough to support her, and trotted to the magical map that dominated the main room. "Well, let's see." Her eyes roamed the map as her friends gathered around, spotting the magical rotations of their five cutie marks. "I found it, girls!" Twilight smiled triumphantly. "It looks like we're going to..."

She squinted.

And tilted her head.

The others followed suit. "To Ponyville," Applejack said, deadpan. "Whoa Nellie. Not sure we're gonna have the supplies or the time for this here trip, Twilight. Gosh, that would sure take me from the farm for a long time."

Twilight raised an eyebrow, meeting the flat green eyes of her friend. "Applejack? Not helping."

Sighing, Applejack scuffed a hoof across the floor, dropping her gaze. "Sorry, Twi. Just been a mite jumpy lately. The truth is, I ain't seen Rainbow around for days, an' I admit, I'm gettin' a little worried about the mare. Ain't like her to disappear, at least not for this long." The earth pony looked at the map again, and nodded. "Yup, and I don't see her cutie mark floatin' around with ours, either. S'like she just fell outta our world lately."

Brow furrowed in thought, Twilight glanced at her other friends, all of which wore similar expressions. "I guess she hasn't really come by lately. I didn't think anything of it, since it's not like this castle is as much fun to crash into as my tree was..."

"I, um, haven't seen her doing cloud duty, either. Some of the other pegasi said they saw her heading west a few days ago, but nothing since then." Fluttershy rubbed one forehoof against the opposite foreleg, looking at the ground guiltily. "I guess I just didn't think to ask more about it."

Glancing around at her other friends, Twilight saw the same uncomfortable looks on their faces. Furrowed brows and (in Rarity's case) pursed lips belied the other ponies' trains of thought, each thinking back to the last time they saw the blue speedster. Twilight shook it off, forcing a smile.

"Well, wherever she is, I'm sure she's okay. I mean, c'mon, being friends doesn't mean you have to check in with each other every day, right?" Her eyes jumped from friend to friend, her smile feeling almost fake. "She was heading west. So maybe she went to visit Little Strongheart. They seemed to hit it off pretty well."

Pinkie, meanwhile, approached the cutie map, eyes narrowed in uncharacteristic concentration. Suddenly, she gasped, jumping up high. "Twilight!"

The other mares turned their full attention to the map and the pink pony beside it who was vibrating with excitement. "Do you see?! Do you, do you, huhhuhhuh?!" Twilight found herself with Pinkie's deceptively strong foreleg wrapped around her for the second time that day, this time all but pressing her nose to the map. "Look where it wants us to go!"

"Yes, Pinkie. Ponyville." Twilight tried to pull her neck free, but the pink pony pressed it closer to the map regardless.

"Noooooo. Really look." The alicorn cocked a brow at her friend, meeting her manic blue eyes for a second before turning back and squinting.

Twilight gasped.

"Ohhh..." She cocked her head to the side as Pinkie Pie vibrated with excitement beside her.

"What is it, Twi?" Applejack peered down at the map. "S'Ponyville. So?"

"No... it's near the gates of Tartarus. I guess we're going to Tartarus." The alicorn blinked, the information sinking in slowly as her eyes traced the magical reproduction of their route.

The ambiance of the room, originally so upbeat and cheerful, turned somber quickly. All of the present ponies could recall back to the last time they tangled with a demon from Tartarus; specifically, Tirek, who had nearly destroyed them all. Pinkie Pie was the only pony unaffected, bouncing around the room with unusual good cheer, given the circumstances.

If we need to go to Tartarus, we need more information than a magical rotation of cutie marks! Twilight thought, staring intently at the map and doing her best to ignore her pink friend's higher and higher bounces. We can't just go, not without more to work with. I wonder if Princess Celestia could shine some light on why—

Her musings were cut off suddenly by realizing that her friend had ceased her bouncing and had grown suddenly silent. Concerned, she turned, beholding Pinkie Pie's unusually somber face pointed upwards. "Pinkie? Are you alright?"

The pink pony replied merely by raising a hoof, forcing a dry chuckle. "Found Rainbow Dash."

The remaining four ponies craned their necks, following Pinkie Pie's gaze. There, up near the vaulted ceiling of her castle's main room, Twilight could just barely make out a small blue light rotating lazily around the entirety of the map. "What the hey..." She had barely muttered that before she was cut off by the gentle takeoff of her equally gentle pegasus friend.

Fluttershy flew towards the top of the castle, following the blue light. "I-It's definitely her cutie mark. But it's... it's not right." Fluttershy frowned, squinting at it. It hovered before her, finally stationary, as it seemed to look back. "There's a darkness," she finally finished. She fluttered down, unwilling to look at her friend's warped mark anymore, and pawed at the floor. "I think she needs our help."

"A moment, darling, if I may?" Rarity fluffed at her mane with a hoof nervously, eyes tracing Rainbow Dash's cutie mark on its languid lap of the castle eaves. "Now, I will freely admit that I am not as well-versed on magical theory as yourself, Twilight, not for a moment! However, is it not true that the cutie marks appear to indicate the ponies necessary to fix the problem, and not that the ponies themselves are in trouble?"

Twilight tilted her head, before nodding her assent. "It's been that way since it started, at least, so I would say yes, based upon our available knowledge of the map and its workings."

"Would it not then be prudent to worry more about whatever is coming from Tartarus? Surely Rainbow Dash has her mark up there to indicate, possibly, that whatever issue it is may require her... robust skills of flight?"

"But it's...it's floating even above Cloudsdale and Las Pegasus. Even the Griffion Kingdom is far, far below it..." Fluttershy trailed off as her fashionista friend laid a comforting hoof on her withers.

"I know, dear. This could simply mean a battle up above is inevitable—"

"Or that it's coming from above." The other four turned to Twilight again. "Sorry to interrupt, Rarity, but the simple fact is that Rainbow's cutie mark is floating well above where a pegasus could even continue to breathe. If she's supposed to be up that high to fight, she won't be able to, at least not with specialized equipment. We don't even know where she is! That could be the darkness Fluttershy sensed in the mark."

"You're thinkin' Dash is in danger, but she's also needed for this mission?" Applejack asked, before glancing at the other girls. "Well, shoot, first order of business, in my opinion, is to find that silly filly and get her outfitted with whatever she needs. You got some magical doohickey that'll help her?"

"Oh, Applejack," Twilight chuckled. "When do I not have a magical doohickey? Magical doohickeys are kind of my thing."

---

An hour later showed Twilight alone again in her castle. The others had hustled off to prepare and pack as well as inform their families of their absence (and in Rarity's case, close down the boutique temporarily). Twilight sat in the middle of the floor of her bedroom, a satellite of supplies scattered in orderly piles around her as she pared down the most important to fit in her saddlebags. As she considered the usefulness of rope versus the likelihood that Applejack would bring some anyway, Spike poked his head in her door.

"Twilight? Am I—can I come with you?"

Eyes softening at the sight of her little assistant, Twilight Sparkle shook her head. "I'm sorry, Spike, but this might take a very long time, and somepony—or somedrake—should really watch over things here for me. And I can't think of anypony—or anydrake—I trust more." She rubbed the top of his head fondly, smiling and levitating some dried fruits into her saddlebags.

Her earlier thought echoed back to her.

"We need more to go on."

"Actually, Spike? Can you send a letter to Princess Celestia for me? If we're all taking off like this, we should probably let her know." She set her crown on her head, the Element of Magic wavering unsteadily for a moment before resting on her mane. "I'm afraid of that darkness around Rainbow's mark, and that it's sending us so close to Tartarus." Her brow furrowed, and she fluffed her wings nervously. "It's not that I don't trust this map that just showed up in the throne room of a brand new castle via some kind of hitherto unknown magic involving rainbows and new manestyles that just happened to arrive after a pitched battle with one of the worst enemies known to ponykind, or anything, and oh Celestia we've just been taking off and doing as it says and not even thinking and just doing—" She was interrupted, suddenly, by a paper bag stuffed over her muzzle by a purple claw.

Breathing deeply and repeatedly, Twilight finally removed the bag. "Thanks. Do you just carry those everywhere with you?"

Spike nodded.

"Where do you even keep them...?"

He shrugged. "Same place I keep the paper and quills."

"And that would be whe—" She was interrupted, again, by his pulling said paper and quills out with a flourish.

"So! A letter to Celestia! Dictate away."

Deciding against thinking about it too hard, Twilight shook her head. "Right! Okay." She relaxed as her favorite three words left her muzzle. "Dear Princess Celestia..."

Dear Princess Celestia,

I've run into a tough nut to crack, and the Cutie Map is behaving oddly.

I'll be frank—it's sending all of us to the entrance of Tartarus. Worse, Rainbow Dash's cutie mark isn't anywhere near ours. It's floating above, rotating above the stratosphere, where she wouldn't even be able to breathe. I'm concerned about that and the dark light it seems to radiate as it rotates.

Any assistance you can give would be most welcome. The girls and I are preparing for our trip, but while I am trying to stay positive and focus on being the leader you have trusted me to be, I admit to having many reservations about this situation.

Your faithful student colleague,

Princess Twilight Sparkle

Spike rolled up the letter, sending it off with a burst of dragonfire. "I wouldn't worry too much, Twilight. These things seem to just sorta work themselves out for you guys, you know?"

"I know, Spike. I'm just getting more and more worried about Rainbow Dash." Twilight finished packing, double-checking her saddlebags after levitating them to her back. "Alright. Food, extra water, blankets, my extended map of Equestria, and most importantly..." With a flourish, a yellow ball striped with blue was held aloft in her magic, and she cheerfully squeezed it, the happy squeaking noise filling the room. "A ball!"

"A ball." Spike stared at the grinning unicorn flatly.

"A ball!" Twilight giggled, levitating it back into the saddlebag. "Cerberus is really a big softy, once you get to know him."

Spike rubbed his face and shook his head. "But last time you used it to get him away from Ponyville and towards Tartarus. This time you'll be, what, getting him away from Tartarus but towards where?"

Twilight paused, blinking to herself. "Well... I'll figure that part out as we go, okay? I'm sure it'll be useful as a distraction."

"I'm sure, but just in case, Twilight..." Spike rummaged in his little personal chest, tossing aside a few stuffed toys and a battered hat before he re-emerged, holding his claw out to Twilight.

She smiled. "Where did you get dog treats?"

"They're for Winona! Whenever I go visit the Apples I usually bring one for her." Spike dumped a fair number of the little bone-shaped treats into Twilight's saddlebag. "That way you can just distract him with treats and... well, whatever it is Fluttershy does and just trot on past without putting anypony else in danger."

Giggling, Twilight ruffled Spike's scales. "And you wonder why I call you my number one assistant."

Spike joined the giggling, pushing Twilight's hoof away gently. Twilight's ears pricked up at the now-familiar sound of her castle doors opening and closing, and a mix of her friend's voices wafted up to her. She looked back down at Spike, much more seriously, and nodded to him.

"Looks like it's time to go, Spike." She sighed. "I was hoping the Princess would get back to me faster about this. I'm not really comfortable with all this."

Spike nodded and placed a claw gently on her foreleg. "It's okay, Twilight. I'll write her another letter to let her know you've already left, and if it's important, to send it to you directly. I'm sure she has ways of doing it that doesn't involve me belching." At Twilight's surprised eyebrow raise, Spike smiled. "I'm a baby dragon, not a stupid dragon. If she can move the sun, I'm pretty sure she can message you directly."

Twilight nuzzled the top of his head, nodding. "You're the smartest little dragon I've ever met."

---

A few moments later found the five ponies leaving, after Applejack's assurances that if the castle got too "big n' lonely", Spike was welcome at the farm with Big Mac, Apple Bloom, and Granny Smith. Their gazes still lingered on the castle after exiting, with even Pinkie Pie looking uncharacteristically somber. Twilight finally tore her eyes away, turning to the others. "I know I didn't mention it before, but did you all bring your Elements?" The others nodded, but Rarity frowned.

"I certainly brought mine with me, but there's only us five. Assuming we find Rainbow Dash, what are the chances she brought her Element wherever she went?"

"She, um, did." The other four turned to the yellow pegasus, who shrank down slightly.

"How d'you know, sugarcube?"

Fluttershy blushed, rubbing one foreleg against the other nervously. "I checked. It wasn't at her house, so, she must have it. I mean, I hope. I think."

Rarity was aghast. "You broke into Rainbow's home and rifled through her possessions? Fluttershy, that is so very unlike you!" She advanced on the pegasus, head held high. "I simply cannot believe you would do such a thing. That's not very kind of you."

At her words, Fluttershy vaulted to her hooves, meeting Rarity's stare with her own furious glare. "Oh? You're being awfully generous with the criticism today, Rarity, but I thought they would be important so I checked. And it turns out they might be important, and it's good to know that both Rainbow and her Element are missing." Twilight lifted a hoof in shock as two of the closest ponies in their circle of friends stood nose to nose. Why are they fighting about this? We need to get moving...

"An' to be honest, Fluttershy is Dash's oldest friend. I'm bettin' she had a key anyway. Ain't nothin' to get worked up about." The farmer separated the two ponies with a foreleg, smiling gently at them both. "Come on, now. Ain't no call for fightin' about this. Rares, y'know we'd do the same if Fluttershy went missin', or if any of us went missin'. If Dash wants to yell at her for it later, so be it, but we gotta find that filly first." She turned to Fluttershy. "An' Flutters, we're all worried too, but goin' after each other like this isn't right. Harmony... right, y'all? Harmony. Not Discord."

"Oh, but you wound me!" The five ponies whirled, eyes falling on a strangely white Discord draped across a red velvet chaise lounge. "The absolute indignity of being spoken about behind one's back!" Rarity's eyes narrowed.

"I do not sound like that."

"Of course you don't, daaaaaaaah-link." Bored of the playacting, Discord turned back to his usual patchwork colors, poofing away the couch with a click of his talons. "I just had to come and see what Equestria's Heroines were up to today."

Applejack, who had been looking at Discord with a measured gaze, stepped forward. "Y'all know somethin' about Dash. Where is she?" The other four ponies looked at her with surprise, Rarity falling back from the draconequus as she glanced to her friend.

Discord blinked, caught off-guard slightly before smoothly recovering and floating to the orange pony. "Oh, now what makes you think that?"

"You dodgin' my question, for starters." Applejack kept her eyes locked on those of Discord, and they brooked no disagreement.

Chuckling, Discord rose above the ground, settling himself into a set of bleachers that suddenly appeared, Discord holding a pennant with the sun and moon symbol of Equestria on it. "I'm afraid I can't interfere, Applejack. I am an observer only. My power would only hinder you all from learning lessons about... friendship, or harmony, or whatever."

Applejack grit her teeth, turning her back on him. "Fine. Y'all can skedaddle, then, so we can get to it."

"Of course, of course! I just wanted to ask Twilight a question." He appeared before the alicorn suddenly, pince-nez glasses on his nose and a smoking jacket on his body. "My dear friend Twilight, this might be a silly question, but... did you bring a book?"

Tilting her head, Twilight flicked through her mental catalog of possessions in the saddlebags. "No. I figured I'd be too busy to read while searching for Rainbow. I brought maps instead."

"If I might make a suggestion?" Discord snapped his talons, a book falling heavily into his lion's paw. Mythical Malcontents.

He spirited it into her saddlebags with another click of his talons, giving Twilight a strangely gentle smile. "You never know when a book can be handy, and I know how much you like to read."

With a final snap, he was gone.

Twilight slowly shook her head. "Okay. Okay. Whatever. Let's go."

"But he knew something about Dashie!" Pinkie Pie nosed up against Twilight. "Why won't he tell us? That's just mean!"

Absently, Twilight draped a comforting wing around her friend. "I know. But I'm sure we can find her, and it didn't seem like Discord honestly could do anything. You saw his face, Pinkie. He truly thinks he's doing the right thing by not telling us."

Sadly, Pinkie Pie nodded, before suddenly perking up. "Well! Better get going, then!" Giggling, her sadness at Discord's behavior apparently forgotten, she began to bounce down the street in a westward direction, the other four following in her wake.

---

As they traveled, Twilight glanced to the sky every so often, but no rainbow contrail appeared.

Author's Note:

Now it begins.

Maybe?

We'll see.

Comments

[Tim the Planes-pony]

Is this a flashback, or what Twilight is seeing in purgatory?

[MidnightDancer]

6567000 All will be revealed later :)

[Admiral Q Ponyform]

I'm frankly confused. Must have been a better way to do this.

I'll wait till next chapter before pulling the plug on this story.

[MidnightDancer]

6568654 Totally up to you, but there's a reason it's being done this way :) If it's too confusing for you, that's fine It's not going to be super straightforward at first.

[MidnightDancer]

6570302 dun dun duuuuuuun

6570337 "princess celestia! please sign my flank!"

6570395 There's a reason ;) I'm honestly surprised nobody has figured out where this is going, to me, it's painfully obvious xD The difference in the tones of the chapters is one of the keys to the story--one of six. :D

[MidnightDancer]

6570666 Something else entirely xD But given it's me, and me being me, you're likely to both get the feels-stabby and also kinda feel like stabbing me at the end too.