10. Fragile Pride
Twilight carefully set the old notebook on the coffee table, then turned her attention to the projector set up next to it. She flicked it on, then jumped over to her laptop and plugged in the cable extending from the back into the projector. Her first slide popped up on the Lulamoon’s wall.
“Thank you, everyone, for coming to my presentation today,” Twilight said, placing her hands behind her back and bowing.
“Trixie didn’t have a choice; she lives here,” Trixie grumbled. Sunset elbowed her. The rest of their friends sat around the living room at attention.
“I promise, what I have to show today will be worth your while,” Twilight continued, heart quickening as she looked at all the eyes staring back at her. She had invited everyone to this demonstration, Soarin and Shimmer included. That didn’t free her from stage fright. “I have finished my restoration and translation of the journal Artemis and Trixie found.”
“Wait, you translated all of it?” Artemis pouted. “I wanted to do it.”
Twilight laughed nervously and tapped a toe against the carpet. “S-sorry. I might have gotten a little carried away while I was working.”
“We’re very proud of you, Twilight,” Selena said, giving Artemis a pointed look.
“Of course we are. I can’t be proud and pout at the same time?”
“Show us what you found, Sparky,” Sunset said with a reassuring smile, ignoring Artemis.
Twilight smiled back and took a deep breath, then hopped over to her laptop. “Using a combination of preservations techniques and computer programs, I was able to digitally restore significant portions of the journal—not all of it, a lot of it is completely faded out or damaged, and even more of it isn’t entirely relevant, although it does give context to some of the events that are described, but I tried to condense my findings down to the critical information—”
“Sparky, slow down,” Sunset said gently. “You’re talking a mile a minute.”
Twilight took a gulp of air, realizing that she had, indeed, said all of that in one breath. “Sorry, sorry. I’ll go slower.”
She tapped a button and the first slide was projected onto the wall: a simple shot of the journal’s first page. “I was then able to translate the journal using online language databases and a few translation guides.”
“Could have just asked me,” Artemis grumbled. Selena nudged him.
“Firstly, I have deciphered that the journal's author was named Stygian. He was a close friend to Merlin and the others who fought against Tirek, though he himself didn’t take part in the battle. He was, however, the one to recruit Merlin into fighting back against Tirek after Stygian witnessed Tirek steal the souls of an entire village.”
Twilight clicked to the next slide, a faded drawing of old runes and sigils. “After meeting Merlin and accompanying him on his journey to find the Rainbow of Light, Stygian wanted to learn how to use magic as well.” She paused. Her slideshow didn’t include Stygian’s personal thoughts about feeling powerless to help his friends fight Tirek due to his lack of magic. She took a breath and continued.
“In Stygian’s time, it was believed that you could become attuned to the magic in the world by training your soul.” Twilight paused again, remembering Moondancer’s words from what felt like years ago.
“If one trains hard enough, one can open their soul to the magical world! They can become in tune with the natural magic that flows all around us! What’s left of it at least.”
“Even though magic was a lot more prevalent back then, Stygian still struggled with becoming attuned. He provided help in other ways, usually acting as a counselor for the rest of the group. Which is probably why he kept a log in the first place.”
Twilight tabbed to the next slide: a sketch of a gnarled staff of wood. “Here’s where things get a little muddled. A lot of the journal talks about the journey to retrieve Merlin’s staff which had been stolen. The translations are a little rough, but there are several instances where Stygian mentions the staff and the Rainbow of Light in close proximity to each other. Either the staff was needed to ‘access’ the Rainbow of Light, or the staff was the Rainbow of Light.”
“Wait,” Rainbow said, waving a hand. “If the staff was the Rainbow, then what’s with the box?”
“My current hypothesis is that, like how the box has six keys to guard the Rainbow, perhaps Merlin’s staff was the key of old times to unlock it.” Twilight adjusted her glasses. “Or, the staff is inside the box.”
“We’ve seen weirder things,” Pinkie said, laying upside down in her seat.
Twilight continued. “Their journey—at least the parts I can read—are actually pretty interesting. Stygian and his friends… remind me of us in a lot of ways.” Twilight smiled at her friends.
Trixie rolled her eyes but smiled back.
“However,” Twilight’s smile faded. “They also encountered a number of problems during their journey. It seemed Tirek was targeting a lot of inherently magical people first in his conquest.”
Shimmer winced and looked at the floor.
“They also ran into a number of people abusing their magical powers. Stygian notes that a lot of magistrates and noblemen used their magic to keep the working class in line.”
Applejack crossed her arms. “Typical.”
Twilight nodded. “That gives a little more justification to what Merlin did later.” She sighed. “Whatever record there is of the actual battle that took place against Tirek is too damaged to read. Stygian sat on the sidelines for most of it. Tirek was beaten in the end. The Rainbow of Light put his soul in the Soul Lock, and Merlin put it in a box and threw it into the ocean.”
“If he threw it in the ocean, how the heck did Tempest get it?” Rainbow asked, outraged.
“Items of dark magic sometimes have a will of their own,” Artemis said. “Or, we’re just really unlucky.”
“So, is that it?” Trixie asked. “Because we knew most of that story already. Trixie fails to see how it helps.”
“N-no, I’m not finished!” Twilight said quickly, a flush in her cheeks again. “There’s still something really important left. Yes, that’s what happened after Tirek was defeated!”
She clicked to the next slide: an old tapestry depiction of Merlin with his flowing gray beard. “You see, Merlin felt that magic was being abused. Tirek, who had learned to use magic by training his soul, was the ultimate example of this. Merlin came to believe that magic couldn’t be trusted to the masses; anyone not born with magic already in their blood. He thought he could prevent other people like Tirek from rising.”
Twilight let out a slow sigh. “Which brings us to the passage Artemis originally translated. ‘...away the magic is foolhardy at best… Already the world feels emptier.’ I was able to restore more of that passage and a few others. Merlin sealed this world’s magic away in a pocket dimension so that it could never be abused again.”
Artemis sputtered and jumped to his feet. “He did what? Our ancestor did what?”
“Well that was selfish of him,” Shimmer said flatly. “How was that his call to make?”
“Stygian thought the same things,” Twilight said somberly. “They had a falling out not long after. Merlin says it was for the greater good, but I agree with Stygian.”
Soarin raised a hand. “But, if he took all the magic, how do spirits like Harbinger exist? Or the staff that Adagio had?”
“Well, he didn’t take all the magic. Just the vast majority of it, and only the ambient magic. I’m hypothesizing for the most part, but it appears he couldn’t suck the magic from artifacts and the like.”
Selena nodded. “It’s still possible for people to attune their souls to the magic of this world, there’s just so little to draw upon, it might as well not exist.”
Trixie crossed her arms and leaned back in her seat. “Trixie is still thankful to be part of Merlin’s bloodline but thinks he was a great fool for this. Imagine if our world still had magic!”
Yeah. Imagine.
Fluttershy let out a gasp, then immediately shrank in on herself when every eye turned to her. “S-sorry, I, um, I just remembered something.” She straightened up but kept her eyes on the carpet.
“Remember when I told you I ran into Moondancer? She said something along the lines of ‘what if they could use our magic or the world’s magic?’”
Sunset’s eyes widened. “Imagine if this world had magic again…. What if… what if Moondancer and Tempest are trying to bring this world’s magic back?”
“How?” Applejack asked.
“Well, magic begets more magic,” Sunset said, Artemis nodding behind her. “What if all these attacks and magical disturbances are part of some plan? We know the more magic we put out, the more the world starts to respond in turn. What if they’re trying to make us use more magic?”
A heavy silence fell over the room. Every brow was furrowed and every head hung in concerned contemplation.
Twilight switched the projector off. She had a little more to show but didn’t think anyone needed the distraction. She had never considered the idea while doing her research. Of course, she still barely understood how magic worked. What if they were just playing into Tempest’s hand by making magic for her…. But what other recourse did they have?
“We all know it doesn’t change much, don’t we?” Applejack asked, lifting the quiet shroud.
“Doesn’t mean we have to like it,” Rainbow said gruffly.
“Maybe it will come down to the Rainbow of Light,” Selena mumbled.
Twilight cleared her throat. “I was able to get a little more information about it from Stygian’s journal. Before he left Merlin, he was able to learn more about the chest. ‘When the purest hearts understand their virtues and align with the virtues of the world, they will get their keys.’” Twilight had memorized the line verbatim.
“Virtues of the world?” Pinkie asked. “What does that mean?”
“The elements of harmony?” Sunset guessed. “Or something close.”
“But Pinkie’s ‘key’ came from the wristband Sonata gave her,” Rarity said.
Pinkie snapped the wristband against her wrist and smiled.
“How do we know when our virtues have aligned and our keys appear?” Rarity finished.
Twilight looked to Pinkie. “Did you feel anything when Sonata gave that to you?”
Pinkie tapped her chin thoughtfully. “I dunno. Just super happy that I helped her be good and we could be friends again.”
That was hardly anything to go on. Twilight began to think Merlin had erred twice. The greatest magical deterrent in a locked box with vague instructions on how to open it. And that was still assuming the Rainbow was inside. Were they just supposed to press random objects against it until they got lucky… five more times? The statistical probability of that was astronomical.
Artemis clapped his hands. “Let’s not get so down! We would hardly make good heroes if everything was just handed to us! I believe the keys will come in time!”
“Father, we wouldn’t even be in this mess if Merlin hadn’t been so paranoid!” Trixie said with a flail of her hand.
“True,” Artemis said with a grimace. “But, if he hadn’t, Tirek would be walking around even now!”
“But we’d have the Rainbow,” Sunset said. “All Merlin did was stall both sides. And what happens if Tirek gets his body back before we find all the keys?”
“Beat him the old-fashion way?” Shimmer suggested.
“A lot easier said than done,” Selena said darkly.
Twilight bit her lip. She had been so engrossed in the delivery of her findings, she hadn’t stopped to consider how everyone would take it. Or the rabbit holes that would lead from her findings. They were racing against the clock; a clock that Tempest had control over.
“Why don’t we just find Tempest now, kick her butt, and get it over with?” Rainbow asked hotly. “She has to be in Canterlot, right?”
“If she is, she’s hiding herself very well,” Artemis said. “And I doubt she’d move into the open now.”
Applejack snorted. “So we have to keep waitin’ for her to make the first move.”
Artemis shuddered and looked out the window. “Speaking of which…”
The heavy silence fell over the room again. The usual pre-battle jubilation didn’t arise, replaced by nervous glances exchanged all around the room.
“We can’t ignore it though,” Rarity said, biting her knuckle. “People will get hurt.”
“Yeah,” Sunset said with resignation. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, then stood with a renewed fiery expression. “Okay, look. We beat the Sirens when our backs were to the wall. We beat Moondancer after she split my soul in two! And we beat the Sirens again after they double-crossed us! Just because we have to play Tempest’s game doesn’t mean she’s going to win! We can stop her! With or without the Rainbow of Light! That’s who we are!”
“Hear hear!” Artemis said, clapping his hands.
“Hell yeah!” Rainbow punched the air.
“Spectacular Seven!” Pinkie cried. “And friends!”
And like that, the mood had shifted. Even Selena had a small smile slip through her mask of reservation. That was Sunset’s power, Twilight observed. She found a way to inspire; to light up a room draped in darkness. She took Twilight’s downer revelation and turned it into a rallying cry. She made the impossible possible. Twilight loved her for it. And yet, the sting of defeat nettled the smallest part of her heart.
“You okay?”
Twilight startled. Sunset had moved right in front of her. “Y-yeah. Just thinking if this really a good idea.”
“It’s our only idea right now.” Sunset wrapped an arm around her. “As long as we’ve got each other's backs, we’ll find a way to win. Plus, I’m a sore loser, remember?”
Twilight managed to giggle. “Yeah, I remember.”
“Then gear up.” Sunset gave her a kiss on the cheek. “We need you for this too.”
They needed her.
The nettle of defeat vanished, leaving Twilight’s heart unburdened and slamming against her chest. She was still needed. She still belonged. She wasn’t useless. Her presentation hadn’t had the effect she hoped for, but she had granted knowledge to her friends to put them in a better position. She had helped.
Twilight took a deep breath, then smiled at Sunset. “Right. Let’s do it!”
*******
Moondancer exited the video call, turned off the computer monitor, and dropped her head into her hands. Weeks of this and it still wasn’t any easier. Every board meeting, stakeholder meeting, conference call; anytime she interacted with anyone in the company, she had to paint herself with the ultimate facade of knowing what she was doing. It was only by the grace of her acting abilities and Raven’s tutelage that Moondancer was treading above water, if barely.
It’s all a performance.
She peeked an eye between her fingers. She knew though. She knew they knew she was faking it. She just hoped it was a good enough act for them to give her the benefit of the doubt.
Tax filings, investment holdings, market shares, strategic operations. Even trying to delegate tasks to her management staff proved difficult because she needed to have some inkling of what she was talking about in order to convey half-decent instructions!
She understood why her father was tired all the time. It hadn’t just been Tempest standing over his shoulder. Being in charge was simply exhausting.
Moondancer sat up and rested her head against the back of her chair. She had forty-five minutes until her next meeting. She would need at least fifteen to look over the notes Raven had prepared. That left a scant half-hour to rest and not think about anything.
Wait…
Moondancer cursed. She turned her monitor back on and started clicking through folders. She couldn’t rest; she had to look over the finalized plans for the Grand Gallant Gala! Shade Enterprises had been not only its chief funder and host for years, but Moondancer discovered her father personally oversaw its organization.
“It was your father’s favorite event,” Raven had told her.
Moondancer had fond memories of the gala as well. Lavish ballrooms filled with shimmering lights and beautiful decorations. Dinner, laughter, and live music. Her parents would take her to the dance floor and take turns teaching her to waltz. It remained one of the few social functions she was allowed to attend after Tempest invaded her life. Her father no longer danced with her, but she still got to enjoy the atmosphere. A taste of freedom after months of confinement. She had always wanted to take Twilight, but…
The scars on her face sizzled, and Moondancer patted her mask in her usual futile attempt to make it stop. It no longer hurt as bad as it used to. Or maybe she was just accustomed to the pain now.
She returned her focus to the documents before her. She admired her father for being so hands-on with many aspects of the company but cursed his name for leaving so many responsibilities to her. She rubbed her eyes and sighed.
“Catering, done. Live music, done. All of the charities for the auction have been contacted. Which ones haven’t responded yet? I need a final list of representatives to expect. We have our auctioneer.”
She was looking forward to meeting Countess Coloratura in person.
“People would feel better with additional security. Adagio is still running around.”
“Yes. She straddles that line of being a nuisance and a boon.”
Moondancer’s blood froze at the familial voice somewhere behind her computer screen. Blood roared in her ears and her hands trembled. Aside from a nervous flicker in her eyes, her face betrayed nothing.
“Lord Tirek,” she said in a perfectly cordial voice. “What brings you here today? I am quite busy.”
“I merely wanted to see how you were doing.” Her mother’s voice. Cold and dispassionate, with just the slightest taunt hidden within. “These ‘corporations’ that you run are fascinating.”
“I am glad you find our modern age so appealing. I am merely finalizing preparations for the annual gala.”
“Oh? A dance held by the affluent, no doubt to show off your wealth.”
While Moondancer couldn’t deny the gala was geared more toward Canterlot’s rich and elite, she said, “We host a charity auction as well. We try to give money to those in need.”
“Indeed? Then perhaps you are better than the rulers of my age.”
“Your praise is kind. Is there anything else I can help you with?”
A pause. “No, I believe that will be all.”
“Very well. Though, permit me to offer a piece of advice: if you continue to instigate magical mayhem, you’re going to attract unwanted attention.”
She could hear Tirek’s smirk. “As long as I continue to receive the Spectacular Seven’s attention. Anyone else is of no concern.” A faint rush of wind, and Moondancer knew Tirek was gone.
She crumpled into the back of her chair, chest heaving as she fought the urge not to break into wild sobs. The tremble in her hands spread to the rest of her body, leaving her a quivering mess.
It’s almost over. It’s almost over. It’s almost over.
That mantra was the only thing stringing her along. The only life preserver that she could cling to in a chaotic sea determined to drown her. She constantly wondered if it was all worth it.
Even if the answer was no, she could never follow through with the alternative.
Moondancer took a few gulps of air and ran a hand down her clammy face. She needed to work. She didn’t have time for another breakdown.
It took all of her strength to sit up and look at her computer again. She took a couple of notes—reminders of tasks to do after her meeting.
There was a knock at the door, and Raven poked her head in. “It’s almost time for your meeting with the marketing team, Miss Moondancer.”
Moondancer had repaired her calm, stoic mask. “Thank you, Raven. I’m… as ready as I’ll ever be.” She stood up and smoothed out her dress skirt before joining Raven.
On to the next performance.
*******
Twilight stepped through her front door and closed it behind her before leaning against it and sighing. Even with Fluttershy’s healing, she was still exhausted.
A bark and a pitter-patter of paws announced the arrival of Spike. He ran up and pressed his paws against her leg, barking and wagging his tail.
Sword in one hand, Twilight scooped him up with the other, whereupon Spike attacked her face with wet kisses. She giggled and allowed him to persist until they reached her room. She leaned her sword against the bed frame and dropped onto the mattress.
“Okay, okay, that’s enough,” Twilight said, scooting Spike away from her face. She scratched him behind the ear. “Were you a good boy while I was gone? I had to stop an army of mannequins from walking out of an old warehouse.”
She shuddered at the mass of faceless dolls marching for the exit and crawling over each other to escape. The fight hadn’t been hard; the mannequins hardly fought back. They just kept coming.
Twilight got comfortable, laying back on her pillow and letting Spike settle on her stomach. The chaos at the botanical gardens and the Thunderbird above Canterlot. Those felt like schemes to get her friends to release more magic into the world. But the junk golem, the alligator, and now this? Sure they were dangerous, but they could have been solved without magic if they tried hard enough. Fluttershy had only been needed to shrink the gator back to its normal size.
They felt more like… challenges. But why would Tempest be challenging them?
Twilight closed her eyes. Her brain couldn’t help but insist that Tempest was the one behind everything. Moondancer was just…. Twilight didn’t know what she was.
She saw the regret in Moondancer’s eyes in the forest. She heard her plea to Tempest. Moondancer did care about her. Maybe she really would have told Twilight everything.
But there were still her actions at Prom. And at the end of the day, Moondancer still stood on the opposite side of Twilight. Twilight hoped it was against her will. She hoped there was still good in her former friend. But she was still complicit in hurting innocent lives and trying to revive a magic-crazed despot.
A knock jolted Twilight from her rumination. She lifted her head and saw Shining standing in her doorway, still dressed in his detective suit. She moved Spike to the bed, then leaped up and ran for a hug.
“Shiny! How are you? What are you doing here?”
Shining gave her a tight squeeze. “What? I can’t drop in and make sure my little sister is doing okay?” He let her go and took a seat on the edge of her bed. Spike came and greeted him, getting into Shining’s lap and trying to lick his face.
Twilight sat next to him. “So, what’s it like being married to Cadence?”
Shining laughed, trying to keep Spike from his mouth. “It’s a lot like before, to be honest. Some things feel a little different, and it’s a great feeling being able to call her my wife instead of my girlfriend. But, a lot of it is just living our normal lives, together.”
“That sounds nice.” Twilight allowed herself a smile at the thought of being able to come home to Sunset.
“What about you? What have you been up to?”
Twilight subtracted all of her magic-based activities. “I’ve been working on scholarships for MIT. I built a drone that can take selfies, and finally worked the bugs out of it, and a helper arm for my lab.”
“Ever the genius,” Shining said with pride. He had gotten Spike to settle between them and was scratching the happy pooch behind the ear. “How are your self-defense classes coming along?”
He said it casually, but Twilight knew her brother. He wasn’t accusing her of anything, but he was looking for something. “They’re going fine,” she said evenly.
“What do you usually practice on?”
Twilight turned her head toward him. His eyes were on Spike. “Selena and I spar with practice swords.”
“So, no training dummies… or mannequins?”
Twilight’s heart drummed. “Mannequins?”
Shining sighed and looked up at her. His eyes still weren’t accusatory, but Twilight knew he was about to enter police mode. “We got a report about a disturbance in one of the warehouses downtown. When we arrived, we found a bunch of destroyed mannequins: smashed, burned. Or cut in half.”
“Shining—”
“We also have unconfirmed reports of young women in masks running into the sewers and showing up at the botanical gardens.”
Sweat perspired on the back of Twilight’s neck. She feared this might happen. Even with the masks, even with the events happening in more conspicuous areas, they were bound to get noticed. Twilight had practiced excuses and come up with covers that would hopefully exonerate her. But face-to-face with her brother, they all fell away. He was silent now, staring at Twilight with brotherly concern.
Twilight pressed her hands together. “Yes, that was us at the gardens. And in the sewer. And at the warehouse. Because all those events were magical, Shining. Living plants, living dolls, mutant alligators. We’re fighting things that the police can’t.”
“But, why?” There was the smallest edge of desperation in his voice. “Magic exists, I can’t pretend otherwise anymore. But why are these things happening now? And why are you a part of it all?”
“Because…” Twilight pressed her lips together. Why was she a part of this? Her friends had all inherited magic; they were being targeted by Tempest and Tirek. She was here… because of Sunset? Because of Moondancer? Because of her insatiable curiosity?
“Because my friends need me,” she concluded. Like she had told Moondancer in the forest: she was here now, and she wasn’t going to run away.
Shining stopped petting Spike. He pressed the tips of his fingers together and placed them against his mouth. “Twiliy, I’m happy you’re so devoted to your friends, but this is dangerous.”
“I know that,” Twilight said, snapping a little harder than she intended. “I know. But the danger is going to happen whether or not I’m a part of it. And I won’t sit on the sidelines while my friends go and fight.”
“Fight who? Adagio? The police can handle her.”
“No, they can’t.” Twilight gave him a pleading look. “She has a lot of magic now; she can do crazy things on top of being able to control people. We have a hard time fighting her.”
Shining ran a hand through his messy hair. “That just makes me worry even more. How can I let you go fight her? What kind of officer or brother would I be?”
“The trusting kind.” Twilight took both of Shining’s hands into her own. “I know you’re scared. Believe me, I’m scared too. And if I told you what we’re really trying to stop, you’d be even more afraid. But that’s why I’m training. That’s why I’m standing with my friends. So we can fight the things that you can’t. I know you don’t like vigilantes—”
Shining laughed. “Twilight, I read comics. I love vigilantes. It’s just my job doesn’t allow that. Otherwise, everyone would take the law into their own hands.”
Twilight shook her head. “We’re not doing that. We’re fighting the bad guys. And if we catch them, we’re bringing them to the police. We just… need you to not look too hard at what we’re doing. Otherwise, we’ll have a lot of explaining to do.”
“I know,” Shining said, exhaling deeply. He pulled his hands away and pressed one over his eyes. “You know if you get caught…”
“I know.”
He dragged his hand down and gave a softer sigh. “Then do me two favors? Don’t get caught. And don’t get hurt.”
Twilight leaned forward and threw her arms around him, pressing her face into the crook of his neck. “I promise.”
Shining returned the hug and squeezed. “Thank you. I just… I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”
Spike gave a happy yip from his spot between them.
They broke apart, and Shining stood up. “And, to make sure you keep your promise…” He stepped out of the room for a second and returned with a box. “Here.”
Twilight took it and looked at the device pictured on the front. “A taser gun?” It was a small black handgun-looking device with wires hanging out of what would have been the barrel.
“I figured our conversation would go something like this. I doubted I could convince you to stop whatever you were doing. So, this is to help make sure you stay safe.”
Twilight set it aside, stood up, and kissed him on the cheek. “Thanks, BBBFF.”
“You’re welcome, LSBFF.”
*******
Shining took a sip of his coffee as he looked over a stack of reports. No one told him promoting to detective would give him more paperwork.
He set his coffee down and made a few keystrokes on his computer. At least he had his own office now. It wasn’t huge, but he could block out the noise of the station if he wanted to. He could also listen to Cadence anytime he wanted. A small radio sat next to his monitor, permanently set to Cadence’s station. Unlike him though, she had clocked out and gone home for the night.
His computer told him it was a quarter after nine. He would finish this last report, then call it a night. Anything else could wait until the morning.
With only a few lines to go, someone knocked on his door. “Armor, you still here?”
Shining groaned and rolled his chair over to pull the door open. Detective Harshwhinny looked down at him, her face puckered in her usual unimpressed pout.
“About to go home, actually.”
“Too bad,” she said brusquely. “We’ve got a hit. Someone called 9-1-1. They didn’t get a chance to say anything, but the responder heard singing in the background before the line went dead.”
Shining glowered. “Adagio.”
Harshwhinny nodded. “We traced the call to a jewelry store on the east side. Fits Adagio’s M.O.”
Reaching into a drawer and grabbing a pair of earplugs, Shining stood up and followed Harshwhinny through the police headquarters. Harshwhinny barked orders as they marched, stirring the quiet building into a beehive of activity.
“Let’s move it, people! This is our last chance to capture her before the feds start sticking their nose in! Be alert but be careful!”
Squad cars rolled out from the station, sirens blaring in the night. They ran through red lights and tore through intersections, crossing the city in minutes. The lights were on in Karat and Clarity, but as Harshwhinny drove to a halt in the middle of the street, Shining couldn’t see anyone inside.
“I want a block-wide perimeter set up,” Harshwhinny said into her talkie. “Gaffer, take a squad and circle to the back of the building. Remember, she has foreign weaponry, and we have no idea how she induces hypnosis in people.”
Shining held his tongue. He hadn’t even bothered trying to explain anything to Harshwhinny. She would have demoted him on the spot. Still, a knife twisted in his gut. Several of his fellow officers had already been hurt by Adagio, and a few had even turned their guns on their brothers-in-arms. Only he knew the real reason why.
“I want lights in that store,” Harshwhinny said. The high beams from the squad cars turned on and flooded the interior with light. Both jewels and people were absent from the show floor.
Shining tightened his jaw. “She’s either in the back with the vault, or she’s already gone.”
“Someone should still be inside, even if she’s gone. Let’s go.” Harshwhinny got out of the car, and Shining followed, motioning for a few more officers to follow them in. The entrance was still unlocked, which felt more foreboding to Shining than it should have.
“Canterlot P.D.!” he shouted as they fanned out through the main room. None of the cases had been broken into, and there were no signs of a struggle. Harshwhinny pointed to him, then to the back corner of the store. Off to the left was the door leading to, presumably, the vault.
Shining followed behind her, discreetly putting in his earplugs. Creeping quietly, Harshwhinny pressed herself to one side of the entrance and jerked her head for Shining to go first. He kept his gun pointed at the ground as he rounded the corner, only to raise it the second he cleared the frame.
Adagio stood at the back of the room in front of a tall vault door, casually putting necklaces into a bag. Off to the side were two employees, standing stock still, just watching Adagio loot them.
“Adagio Dazzle, you’re under arrest!” Shining shouted, his own voice muffled in his ears.
Adagio slowed her plundering but didn’t stop. Shining could hear the faintest song coming from her direction. He fired his gun, only for the bullet to bounce off a glittering red wall. Then, the two shopkeepers ran at him, sudden fury in their eyes.
Shining leaped back as one swiped at him. He heard Harshwhinny curse as the other noticed her against the wall and made a mad lunge. He heard a scream and bullets fired behind him. Grabbing his assailant by the arm and bending it behind her back, he turned around and saw a red wolf on top of one of his officers, its jaw snapping for his neck while he barely held it back. A few shots from his partner drove the wolf off, but it lapped around the room before it struck again.
Shining’s captive threw her head back and smashed his lip. It wasn’t hard enough to make him let go, but he loosened his grip enough for her to swing around and use her free hand to claw his face. Shining let go, keeping a tighter grip on his gun as the girl reached for it. He hooked his boot behind her ankle and pulled, tripping and sending her to the floor.
Before she could get back up, Shining swapped his gun for a pair of handcuffs and restrained her. As he jumped back up, Adagio strode from the vault room, a smug smile on her face.
Shining pulled his gun again. “Freeze!”
Adagio’s smile widened as she paused to look at him. She mouthed a sentence, then her mouth flattened to a thin, annoyed line. She opened her mouth, and Shining could hear her faint song again. He fired his gun, but once again, his shot reflected off a red forcefield.
Something itched inside his head. Thoughts crept in. Unpleasant thoughts. He needed to shut her up. He needed to drown her out. In the corner of his eye, he could see Harshwhinny move away from her civilian and turn toward him, a green glint in her eye.
In trouble, he thought, feeling an irritation for everything around him stirring. He gave one more desperate glance around the room. His eyes landed on a red panel on the right side of the vault room door. Shining jerked his hand and fired his gun again.
Even through his earplugs, he heard the shrill scream of the fire alarm. His mind cleared up, and Harshwhinny shook her head before training her gun on Adagio as well.
Venom filled Adagio’s eyes. She dove behind one of the display tables, the bullet-resistant glass taking shots from both Harshwhinny and Shining. A second later, the same table was heaved through the air straight for the two of them.
They both dove to opposite sides, and it hit the ground with a bone-rattling crash. Shining rolled up to one knee and saw Adagio aim her palm at Harshwhinny, still on the floor. Shining took a shot, narrowly missing Adagio’s hand. Lips pulled back in a snarl, Adagio swung her palm toward Shining.
There was a bright light. Something hot pierced him. Somewhere between his heart and shoulder. It went clean through him, a sword doused in flames. His brain barely had time to register the pain. It granted him mercy by shutting down almost immediately.
His last thoughts oscillated between Twilight and Cadence.
*******
Twilight couldn’t breathe.
She sat on one of the hospital couches, slumped against Cadence, hand tightly clutched in hers. Neither woman said anything. Neither could. Silent tears poured down their faces as they waited in the nearly empty lobby. Occasionally, Twilight’s body would demand oxygen and force her to take a breath. They were always quick and shuddering.
Her free hand gripped the edge of the pleather upholstery, nails digging as deep as they could go.
She had been here before. She had been here twice. Shining had been poisoned. Sunset had her soul taken. Now, Shining…
Twilight shook uncontrollably, and Cadence held her a little tighter. It was a reflex, little more. There was only a flicker of life in her eyes.
Twilight hated hospitals. She hated them. She wanted a world where no one got sick or injured. Where she wasn’t forced to wait in the dim, dreary lights and sick, medicinal aroma to know if Sunset was okay, or if her brother would live.
She was lightheaded. Her body forced her to take another breath. It made her stomach churn. She moved her nails from the upholstery to her palm, scratching at the skin.
Her eyes flicked over to a clock on the wall. It was midnight. They had been here for almost two hours already. Two hours of waiting. Two hours of wondering. Two hours of spiraling.
Shining had told her to be careful. He didn’t want anything bad to happen to her. But what about him? She told him the police couldn’t handle Adagio. She warned him about her magic. But he went anyway.
Twilight couldn’t lose him. What was she going to do without her big brother? What was Cadence going to do without her husband? It had barely been a month since the wedding! It wasn’t fair!
She was hyperventilating again. Her chest ached. Every part of her body shook.
Cadence pulled her into a tighter hug. “He’ll be fine,” she said hoarsely. “He has to be fine.” It wasn’t conviction in her voice; it was desperation.
The lobby doors slid open with a hiss, and Night Light walked in with three bottles of water. He sat on an adjacent couch and handed the bottles to the girls. “You need to put some liquid back inside you,” he said somberly, his own eyes puffy and red.
Twilight slouched upwards and took a bottle. She sipped gingerly, feeling like anything in her stomach would force her to throw up.
It was another agonizingly long hour of waiting before the emergency room doors opened, and Velvet walked out. No one stood, they all just looked at her expectantly.
She wet her lips before speaking. “He’s… still in critical condition. The subclavian and his major vein were ruptured. The bone was… burned. Almost melted. The wound went all the way through him.” Her voice shook despite her best efforts.
“We’re doing everything we can, but…” Velvet hobbled forward and collapsed into the seat next to her husband. “Dr. Stables told me I should take a break. Let you know what’s happening.”
In a mousy voice, Cadence asked the question they were all thinking. “Is he going… can he…?”
“I don’t know. God, I don’t know.” Velvet finally broke and fell onto Night Light’s shoulder.
Twilight had broken down several times already that night. When she had first heard the news, when she had arrived and was told Shining was being operated on. She broke down again into quiet, powerful sobs, her mind spiraling, dragged down by the weight of her mother’s words.
Silence and tears drowned the family for minutes on end until the doors opened again and Dr. Stables emerged. Twilight looked up at him through bleary eyes and smudged glasses. He kept his hands in his coat pockets, thumbs sticking out. His casual posture didn’t mask his haggard energy.
“I’m sure Velvet has already filled you in. The damage was extensive, and frankly, we’ve never seen a wound like this. We’re doing everything we can. He’s resting before we bring him in for another round of surgery. If that blast had hit him any lower…”
Twilight shoved the thought down. “C-can we see him?”
Dr. Stables sighed. “It’s not a pretty sight.” When no one commented, he nodded his head toward the door.
They followed in a procession of uncomfortable deja vu, Twilight taking up the rear. They went further into the ICU than last time, passing nurses and surgeons and one grieving mother.
Dr. Stables came to a halt at a random door. “Two at a time, please,” he said, pushing it open and gesturing inside.
Night put a hand on Twilight’s shoulder and nudged her ahead. “You and Cadence go. I’ll go with your mother.”
Twilight gave a trembling nod. Cadence tried to give her a reassuring smile, but it just came out pained. Still, she took Twilight’s hand and led her into the dim room.
Shining lay in bed, the covers pulled up to his waist. A ventilator mask covered his mouth. Twilight’s eyes locked onto his exposed chest. Two metal tubes weaved out of the hole in his shoulder up to whirring machines. Gauze and bandages covered the surrounding area, but Twilight could see hints of burned flesh around the perimeter.
Cadence dropped Twilight’s hand to cover her own mouth. “Shiny,” she whispered, renewed tears in her eyes. She stepped closer and slipped a hand into his, gripping it tight.
Shining didn’t stir.
Cadence remained with him for minutes while Twilight stood and watched. Her eyes kept flickering to the metal tubes jutting out of him; the last tethers anchoring him to life.
She hated that he needed them. She hated hospitals. She hated how her brother and her friends were risking their lives to stop villains straight from Shining’s comic books.
And she hated Adagio.
Adagio had hurt her friends, hurt her, and Tempest had done the same and worse. But this was different. Shining could die that night and it would be by Adagio’s hand. She hated Tempest. She hated Tirek.
She hated Adagio.
Twilight clenched her hands, her nails digging into her palms. She felt like she wanted to scream. Specifically, she wanted to scream at Adagio, or hit her, or find her sword and… She closed her eyes and bit her lip until she thought it would bleed. The anger inside her didn’t erupt, but it didn’t cool, either.
Cadence turned from Shining, her eyes bloodshot, and gestured to Twilight it was time to go. They traded places with her parents and waited in the hall. Twilight clenched and unclenched her hands and made short paces between the walls. She was tired of crying. She still was but she needed something else to do. An ache behind her eyes told her she also needed sleep.
“Miss Sparkle. Miss Cadenza,” a somber voice said.
Twilight spun around. Miss Harshwhinny came down the hall, her left arm in a sling and a thick bandage on her cheek. Cadence greeted her with a weak wave. Twilight nodded curtly.
Harshwhinny looked into Shining’s room, her usual uptight expression dower. “That… whatever it was Adagio did… it was meant for me. He distracted her long enough for me to get my bearings. And I still couldn’t bring the bitch in.”
She gave a slow shake of her head. “He’ll be in my thoughts.” She walked off without another word.
Twilight bit down any acerbic words forming on her tongue. There was nothing Harshwhinny could have done then, and there was nothing she could do now.
Nothing she can do.
An obvious idea smacked Twilight in the face. If magic did this, then magic could undo it.
*******
Even after coming home, Twilight barely slept. She sent a group text to her friends at two in the morning and waited on tenterhooks for the sun to come up. What if Shining gave in to his injuries and died before Twilight had a chance to intervene? She tossed and turned in her bed, falling into half dreams where she stood over Shining’s body before jolting awake. She clung to Spike like a life preserver. While he brought her calm, he couldn’t bring her rest.
At last, the sun rose, banishing the long night. Twilight hopped into a hot shower to burn some of the exhaustion away. It only did so much; Twilight could still feel the strain behind her eyes and a fog in her head. She pushed past it and finished getting dressed, then grabbed her sword. Today wasn’t a training day, but like with Spike, holding the blade in her hand gave Twilight a small sense of calm. Of normalcy.
The door to her parent’s room was shut, leaving the rest of the house quiet. She filled Spike’s food bowl, then left the house, Spike whining at the door as she closed it behind her.
Despite the idea and determination in her head, Twilight walked at a slow pace, Several times she stopped to lean against a tree or fence. The exhaustion fog crept up on her again and reduced the world to a dream-like state. She floated out of her body for a few seconds before crashing back. She shook the fog clear and pressed onward. It took her an extra fifteen minutes, but she arrived at the leygate.
Her stomach squirmed as she stepped up to it. Two weeks of warping across the world in a matter of seconds had not improved Twilight’s handling of teleportation, even if Artemis said it was just high-speed travel. It still left Twilight dizzy and queasy and filled with questions. She shoved all of that down, took a deep breath, and walked into the gate.
It was only five seconds, but it was a torturous five seconds. It was someone pressing the fast-forward button on her very existence. She stumbled out of the leygate, feeling worse than when she had gotten out of bed. If she had any breakfast in her, she would have likely tossed it.
Here, it was early afternoon, the sun sitting almost right above her. The white sand practically glowed in the daylight, and the ocean sparkled a sapphire blue.
Twilight walked from the edge of the forest down to the shoreline. She stopped where the tide reached its apex before lapping back into the water.
She had lived in Canterlot her entire life. She was used to ambulances and car alarms and barking dogs. She had only been to the beach a handful of times, and it had been crowded and covered in screaming kids. But this island in the middle of the sea, where the only sounds were the ebb and flow of the waves and the rustle of palm trees… Twilight found a meditative peace here. She could drown out everything during her sessions with Selena. She could forget about her projects or college or having to leave Sunset or, ironically enough, the magical mayhem waiting for them back home.
Twilight took a deep breath of salty air and slowly exhaled. Even now, her chest felt a little looser. She unsheathed her sword and went to en garde. Her sword swished through the air as she moved through her forms. She tried to let her thoughts drift away and allow her body to move on instinct. The gentle sounds of the ocean settled her into a lull.
Adagio once stood here.
Twilight slashed her sword before coming to a pause. Her heart hammered. She gripped the hilt until her knuckles turned white. Adagio had stood here once. She had been trapped here. Then she had gotten free. And all she had done since then was make life miserable for everyone she came in contact with.
Twilight clenched her teeth. She hoped Aria was wrong. Twilight wanted Adagio to stumble out of that leygate so she could….
She stabbed her sword into the sand and collapsed next to it, pulling her knees to her chest. She sat there and waited until a gentle woosh and several footsteps told her someone else had arrived.
“Twilight?” Of course it was Sunset.
Her arms wrapped around Twilight from behind and her breath warmed the back of Twilight’s neck. “I’m so sorry, Twilight. I can’t imagine how you feel.”
Twilight placed her arms around Sunset’s. Her warmth made her want to cry all over again, but Twilight steeled herself. “It’s… it’ll be okay. He’ll be okay. We can make sure of it.”
“What do you mean?”
“We can fix him. Fluttershy can fix him.”
Another woosh announced the arrival of more friends. More hands touched Twilight’s shoulder, and she redoubled her effort not to cry.
“We’ll catch her,” Rainbow said firmly.
“I know,” Twilight murmured.
“Is there anything we can do for you, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked.
Twilight leaned forward, signaling Sunset to release her. She got to her feet and looked at her friends before focusing on Fluttershy.
“Shining’s hurt bad. But I don’t think it’s anything you can’t fix. It was inflicted by magic, but that hasn’t been an issue in the past. So, if you could heal him… please?”
“Oh, of course!” Fluttershy opened her mouth to say more, then hesitated and tapped her fingers together. “But, um… wouldn’t that look… suspicious?”
Twilight creased her brow, the strain behind her eyes increasing. “What do you mean?”
Sunset answered. “Twi… we can’t just go to Shining’s hospital room, heal him, and not expect someone to ask questions.”
Twilight’s crease deepened. “That’s what the masks are for.”
“The masks are to stop people from recognizing us if they see us, which we try to avoid.” Sunset’s voice was infuriatingly calm. “Even disguised, if we go in there and do magic, people are going to have questions and look for answers.”
“So what—I’m supposed to just let my brother die?” Twilight yelled.
Sunset got to her feet and put her hands on Twilight’s shoulders. Her expression was firm but gentle, and yet that only stirred more anger in Twilight. “Twilight, I would never suggest that. Shining’s the older brother I never had. I’m just saying, let’s think through our options—”
Twilight pushed Sunset’s hands away and glared burning daggers at her and the rest of her friends, looking back at her with pitying concern. She couldn’t believe this. The idea that her friends—her girlfriend—would say no never factored into her plans.
“What’s there to think about?” She asked, her voice cracking. “You help and he lives! You don’t and… he… he could…”
“We won’t let that happen,” Sunset said with false reassurance. “We just need to think of a way that—”
“That doesn’t expose magic!” Twilight spat. “Because that’s what it always comes down to!”
“Twilight, government agents are starting to snoop around Canterlot,” Sunset said, an edge to her voice. “If we get caught, what’s going to happen to us? What’s going to happen to the city if they take us away?”
“What’s going to happen to my brother!” Twilight shrieked.
Artemis slid between them and held his hands out. “Okay,” he said calmly, “I have an idea. There’s a middle ground between miracle cures and doing nothing. I’ll go in the middle of the night and just give Shining a tap; enough to take off the worst of it and improve his odds. At least enough that he should survive. How does that sound?”
Twilight inhaled a few times, out of breath from her outburst. “Fine,” she said steely. She wanted it to be now instead of the dead of night, but if they got to protect their stupid magic and stupid secret identities, then so be it.
If she had magic, consequences be darned. She’d heal Shining and deal with the fallout later.
She pulled her sword from the sand and tucked it back into its sheath. “Thank you, Artemis,” she muttered, eyes on the ground. She started for the leygate.
“Twilight, wait!” Sunset called after her.
“I’ll talk to you later,” Twilight said, not bothering to look back at her.
*******
Twilight knew Artemis would make good on his word, but that didn’t stop her from being a nervous wreck for the remainder of the day. She stayed in her lab, tinkering and building, only pausing to nibble on small bites of food or drag herself out of a panic spiral.
Sunset tried to call her, but Twilight wasn’t in the mood to talk. Of course Sunset’s concerns had legitimate merit. Twilight shuddered at the thought of any of her friends being apprehended by the government and forced into experiments or secret human weapon programs.
But they dismissed her so easily. They were so quick to promote their self-interests and self-preservation over Shining’s.
Twilight yawned and rubbed her bleary eyes. She couldn’t fall asleep. Her panicked dreams wouldn’t let her.
Instead, she channeled what remaining energy she had into her drive for revenge. Adagio would pay for what she did. The next time they met, Twilight would be ready.
Twilight had no compunctions about calling it revenge. It was plain and simple: Adagio hurt Shining, Twilight would hurt Adagio. She wouldn’t inflict any mortal wounds. Just enough to let Adagio know she had messed with the wrong family.
Thus, Twilight toiled on her mechanical projects as the hours whittled away. The police scanner on her computer filled the void. If Adagio reared her ugly head again, Twilight wanted to know.
The strain behind her eyes had grown into a single, continuous ache. At several points, Twilight couldn’t tell if she was still awake or had fallen into a dream. She went from her workbench to her computer, from using a screwdriver to inputting prompts into her 3D printer without remembering the time in between. Her phone buzzed several times during her toil, but she ignored it.
Her work went uninterrupted until the stale chatter over the police scanner cut out.
‘Emergency alert. Please be advised: sighting of Adagio Dazzle on South and Fifteenth. Suspect is armed and dangerous. Requesting backup. Use caution.’
Twilight finished tightening a screw, then rolled her chair over to her computer. She pulled up a map of Canterlot and pinpointed the location. It was on the outskirts of the city, close to the Everfree Forest. Nothing noteworthy was there, just a small grocery outlet.
Gears turned in Twilight’s head. The Sirens still needed to eat food. If Adagio was attacking a grocery store, she had to be stockpiling resources. If she was attacking so close to the forest…
Resolve burned away Twilight’s exhaustion. The police weren’t going to stop Adagio. But Twilight could. If she was right, she knew exactly where Adagio was hiding.
Twilight grabbed her gear and her sword. This time it would be different. This time she would be prepared. This time, she wouldn’t need rescuing. This time, she would win. For Shining.
Armed and backpack prepped, Twilight grabbed her bicycle from the sideyard and set out. She had completely lost track of time, but the pitch-black curtain over her head didn’t phase her. It would make her ambush easier if anything.
It was a long pedal to the edge of town, but Twilight’s training and drive made it easy. Stone turned to gravel, buildings spaced out, and the shadow of trees grew on the horizon. She rolled to a pause at the fence and pulled her selfie drone from her backpack. She considered this the 2.0 version, built to contain a few extra features.
She tapped her control watch and released the drone as it began to hover on its own. Another tap and the camera light switched on, illuminating the dark path ahead. Abandoning her bike, Twilight set out on foot, the drone hovering just over her head.
The forest was eerily silent. Twilight only heard the rustle of leaves in the wind, and skitters of bugs fleeing from her footfalls. She stepped lively, avoiding the exposed roots and tall shrubs while trying to progress as fast as she could. She kept a hand firmly around the hilt of her sword. While her drone gave her ample light, it also enhanced the shadows just beyond it.
Twilight didn’t know how long she had been walking, but she could feel her weariness rearing its head again. Maybe she should have taken a nap before this. Maybe she should have called her friends.
She shook her head. No, they would have wasted time deliberating on what to do. Adagio needed to be stopped now.
When the terrain sloped upward, Twilight knew she was close. The trees thinned out and the rugged path Twilight had journeyed on became some semblance of a proper road. She stopped next to a random tree and lifted her watch, turning down her drone’s brightness and switching to manual control. The drone’s feed appeared on her watch’s face, and she steered it into the forest clearing.
The dark chateau stood out even against the backdrop of night; its square, manmade features contrasted against the natural landscape surrounding it. It was as old and worn as Twilight remembered, and from a glance, it looked like not a soul was present.
Twilight navigated her drone closer to the boarded windows. She started a sweep around the first floor before lifting it up to the second. Through the gaps, Twilight could only see more darkness. It wasn’t until she got to the west side of the mansion that she made out a faint glow from one of the bedrooms.
“I’ve got you,” Twilight whispered. She recalled her drone and slung off her backpack, pulling out the rest of her supplies.
She stuck earbuds into her ears, then turned on the white noise app on her phone. She then produced from her backpack her scholarship project: her mechanical helper arm, only like her drone, she had upgraded it to version 2.0. Thanks to the parts Twilight had found in the junkyard, it was far more flexible now with curved joints instead of block ones, and its circuitry was covered up by shiny white plating. Its best new feature, however, was its portability.
Twilight had attached its base to a jogging vest and slung it over her shoulders. She flailed her arms for a moment, offset by its weight, but caught herself before anything catastrophic happened. Finally, she pulled out the taser gun Shining had given her and held it up the three claws.
“Hold,” she commanded.
The arm took the gun, and after a minute of helping it get its grip right, pointed the gun ahead of Twilight.
Pulling her sword from its sheath, Twilight started toward the dilapidated manor. Through the static in her ears, Twilight could still hear the wooden stairs creaking beneath her. She pushed the door open enough for her and her drone to squeeze through and paused in the dark foyer. A spinning sweep revealed nothing new to her, so she made for the stairs.
The manor smelled just as old and musty as before and made Twilight want to gag. She didn’t know how she had managed to spend an entire night sleeping here. She tiptoed up the stairs and turned left toward the west wing.
“Aaah aaah ah. Aaah ah.”
Twilight froze only for a second. She turned up the volume on her earbuds, drowning the Siren sound out, then spun around from where it had come from.
Adagio stepped out of the shadows from the other end of the hall, eyes filled with her predatory look. She sang for a few additional seconds before realizing Twilight couldn’t hear her. With an annoyed sneer, she shut her mouth and crossed her arms. Twilight tensed every muscle in her body and readied her sword.
Adagio opened her mouth again and a wail broke through Twilight’s static and assaulted her eardrums. She tried to turn the static up again, but it did nothing to push out the deafening caterwaul. In desperation, Twilight ripped the earbuds out and used her own fingers to plug the noise. It did nothing.
Before Twilight collapsed to her knees, Adagio stopped, taking a quick inhale before speaking. “I’m surprised you’re not hiding behind your wife’s skirt.”
The leftover ringing faded from Twilight’s ears. She got back into a defensive stance and spat, “I don’t need her to beat you!”
Adagio smirked. “Be careful with that little burst of confidence. It might get you killed.” Her smirk dropped. “Why are you here, little girl?”
“You know why! I know you know why!”
“Hmm…” Adagio tapped a finger on her lip. “Oh! Oh, right! That was your brother last night, wasn’t it? I’m so sorry, Sparky. Tell me, is he dead?”
“He’s alive!” Twilight yelled, tears gathering in her eyes.
“Then I’m really sorry I didn’t do a proper job.” Adagio lowered her arms and gave Twilight an unimpressed stare. “So you really thought you’d come out here all by yourself to fight me? For revenge? I’ll hand it to you, Twilight, I didn’t think you had it in you.”
Twilight took a step forward. “You’re going to pay not just for Shining, but for everything you’ve done to me and my friends!”
“And yet you didn’t bring them along with you. Now, why is that? I think you’re here for purely personal reasons. Which I can respect. But I do have to ask…” Adagio raised the glove with the shard of Sacanas emended in it. “What do you plan on doing on your lonesome? You don’t have Equestrian magic, you don’t have human magic. You’re just a filthy nobody. I told you before—you can’t beat me.”
“I’ll show you!” Twilight rushed forward and swung her sword. A red shield wrapped around Adagio, and Twilight struck it instead, the vibration coursing up her arm. She shook it off and dialed the brightness of her drone up to maximum. She closed her eyes as the light started to flash rapidly. Adagio yelled in pain and Twilight dialed the light back to see the shield gone and Adagio rubbing spots from her eyes.
“Fire!”
Twilight’s auto-arm pulled the trigger on the taser gun. Two wired electrodes sprung from the barrel and attached to the front of Adagio’s shirt. Adagio reared back and screamed as the electrical current ripped through her. Her body convulsed wildly and she fell to the floor, eyes wide with shock and pain. Twilight watched Adagio writhe. Some part of her told her it was sadistic… then she remembered Shining laying in the hospital bed.
She reached up and tapped a button on the side of the taser gun. The cartridge popped loose and the electric current zapping Adagio ended. She convulsed a few more times, then fell still.
“That was for my brother,” Twilight said coldly. She drew her leg back and kicked Adagio in the side, knocking her down the stairs until she landed in a heap on the moth-eaten carpet. With a calm gait, Twilight walked down after her, then placed her foot on Adagio’s back.
“And that was for betraying Sunset’s trust.” Twilight reached down for Adagio’s glove.
The jewel sparked red, and Adagio snapped her hand up and grabbed Twilight by the wrist. With ease, Adagio swung Twilight around and through the front door with a mighty crash!
Twilight hit the ground and slid across the grass, coming to rest next to one of the doors. Her arm and back ached, and she was sure she had bruised a rib. Her auto-arm made a sad whirr before powering down and dropping the taser.
“Alright, Sparkle!”
Twilight forced herself to sit up. Adagio stiffly walked out of the manor, still twitching occasionally.
“You wanted a fight? You’ve got one!” Adagio raised her palm. Twilight rolled to the left as a firework burst to life where she had been sitting. Its embers caught the hem of her skirt, and Twilight beat them out while jumping to her feet and dancing away from a second blast. She grabbed her taser with her free hand and charged at Adagio again.
With a thrust of her hand, Adagio conjured a red wolf that lunged for Twilight. She skidded to a halt and turned to run, the wolf biting at her heels. Another wail from Adagio disoriented her, but Twilight kept running. She stumbled back into the forest, weaving around the close-knit trees to evade the wolf inches behind her.
Twilight fumbled and sheathed her sword, then reached into the side pocket of her vest to pull out a new cartridge for her taser. Locking it in, she spun on her toe and fired at the wolf, praying the construct could even be tased.
The electrodes made contact, and a violent crackle of electricity resounded through the forest. The wolf didn’t make any cries of pain, it merely flickered violently before fading from existence.
Twilight dislodged the clip, reloaded another one, then discarded her vest, auto-arm and all. She held the gun in front of her, panting and looking wildly in every direction, straining her ears for Adagio. She had no idea what had become of her selfie drone.
Adrenaline thundering through her veins, Twilight began to move, wincing at the aches across her body. Even after adjusting to the dark, her eyes strained to see anything under the Everfree’s all-consuming canopy. Twice, she jumped and almost wasted her last shot at a rustling bush. She needed to get her bearings. She needed to get out of here.
No! I… I can still win. I just need a plan.
“Aaah aaah ah. Aaah ah.”
Twilight had nothing to defend herself from the coming wave. The song flowed into her ears and set her mind adrift. She should just stand still. Drop her weapons and surrender. It was easier that way.
No… don’t you dare. Her grip on her sword tightened.
“Aaah aaah ah. Aaah ah.” The music was closer now. Why was she resisting? It was over. Adagio had won.
No she hasn’t! Twilight clenched her teeth until her jaw ached. She pictured her friends. She pictured Sunset. She pictured Shining.
With a scream, Twilight broke from her paralysis, spun to where the music came from and fired her taser. The electrodes struck Adagio again, and she let out a scream of her own.
Twilight threw the taser to the ground and ran at Adagio, sword raised. Despite her convulsions, Adagio raised her arm and made a half shield to repel Twilight’s slash. She ripped the electrodes off her, blocked another of Twilight’s attacks, then wailed right in Twilight’s face.
The sound cracked one of her lenses and broke one of her eardrums. The sounds of the forest dulled against the ringing in her skull. She saw a bright light in the darkness behind Adagio, and for a moment thought she had died.
Adagio noticed the growing light too and looked behind her. The selfie drone swerved around a tree and homed in on Twilight and her watch. Adagio raised her hand to shoot it down, but Twilight moved quicker. She hit another button, and a small compartment on the drone’s underside opened up and sprayed oil across Adagio’s face.
“Why you—” Adagio grabbed the drone and hurled it at Twilight. Instinctually, Twilight raised her sword and tried to slash through it, but the plating proved too thick. She deflected it from her body, but the impact knocked her sword away.
Adagio stepped up and leveled a kick at Twilight’s chest. She blocked with the outside of her arm and jabbed for Adagio’s oil-smeared face. Adagio grabbed Twilight’s fist, but thanks to her greasy palms, Twilight slipped out and struck again, catching Adagio on the jaw. She followed up with a kick of her own to Adagio’s chest.
The attack connected and pushed Adagio back, giving Twilight time to dive for her sword. She grabbed it and rolled up in time to deflect a blast of magic up into the branches. With a step and a swing, Twilight closed the distance and opened a tear in Adagio’s sleeve. With a snarl, Adagio materialized a shard of red diamond in her hand and swung it like a dagger.
Hardlight and metal clashed, and Twilight’s arm nearly went numb from the collision. She stepped back, but Adagio swung again. Twilight gripped the sword with both hands, arms trembling as she fended off Adagio’s brutal swings. Finally, they gave out, and her sword flew from her hand and into the darkness.
Twilight raised her arms in a desperate attempt to block the next swing. But the attack never arrived.
A fist impacted her stomach instead, and Twilight flew back and slammed into a tree before crumpling to the ground, gasping for air. A boot stomped against her skull and pressed down.
“I told you—you’re just a filthy human. You can’t beat me.” Adagio’s voice came from above Twilight, muffled against the ringing in her ears. The pressure increased, and Twilight cried out.
“You really thought you could succeed where everyone else failed? Points for trying, but you’re dead wrong!”
The pressure increased again and Twilight screamed. The headache was agonizing, but it was nothing compared to the fear surging through her. This was how she was going to die? Would her friends ever find her out here? She never got to say goodbye to Sunset.
“I could squash you like a grape,” Adagio said in a menacingly playful voice. The pressure alleviated and Twilight took a gasping breath. “But I won’t. Don’t take this as an act of mercy, Twilight. The only reason you’re not dead is because I could taste your anger a mile away.”
Twilight weakly raised her head. One lens showed a complete Adagio. The other showed four broken pieces. All of them were leering victoriously at her. “What?”
Adagio chuckled. “I knew you were coming for a while. All your anger and fear and self-loathing—all of your pathetic insecurities! I could taste them more and more as you got closer! And they were all delicious! Your negativity is like my own personal buffet! So, I’m not going to kill you today.”
She leaned in closer to Twilight. “You came here to avenge your brother, and you failed. I can only imagine what that’s going to do to you. I can’t wait to taste it though. Now, be a good girl and go running back behind your girlfriend’s skirt where you belong.”
Adagio turned and sauntered off into the darkness, laughing all the while. Even muffled, it lodged itself in Twilight’s mind worse than any song.
Adagio was right. Twilight had failed. She had come all the way out here with gadgets and weapons and still been outsmarted and overpowered. Once again, compared to magic, she was nothing.
“Damn it…” Tears poured down Twilight’s face. She raised a fist and pounded it against the dirt. “Damn it!”
Once again, without Sunset to save her, she had lost.
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Wow, that was certainly dark but spectacular. And while I say volume 1 is not as apathetic as believed, you certainly did a good job at not making it apathetic here. The mood was just right, and I felt tense all through the fights with Adagio.
Sci-Twi should feel proud for all the damage she did to Adagio in spite of the fact that Adagio knew she was coming. Sci-Twi, however, feels only the final result matters, and for her, it's that she lost. That she couldn't beat her alone. That she needed to be saved and this time it was only because Adagio could get more benefit out of letting her live. Sci-Twi's self-worth is certainly decreasing as she compares herself more and more to magic, which is why she empathizes with Stygian. But it's not the magic that truly gave her her loss.
It was her emotions. Now, emotions are not bad, far from it, but Sci-Twi let all her negativity fuel her and that was not only a beacon but a feast for Adagio. If Sci-Twi had meditated beforehand to try to attain a sense of peace, she could have very well beaten Adagio. Magic may certainly be hard to overcome, but Sci-Twi has the means if she can overcome herself.
Here's hoping Shining will be OK as well. Adagio certainly went brutal with that attack and even if Shining gets fully healed eventually, his family is sure to take this hard. And the debate over using Fluttershy to heal him immediately is a tough one indeed. Of course they'd want to help Shining, but the consequences of doing so without thought could lead to a lot worse if not careful. But when you're in grief, fear, and anger, it's understandable why Sci-Twi would feel so betrayed by that.
I definitely get what Sunset meant now in your update about what was about to happen. She was certainly right. I can't wait to see what happens next whenever it arrives! Take all the time you need to make it. ^_^
Damn epic chapter
Shiny you legend!!!!
Aw f*** 😭😭😭
Damn you Adagio..........poor Twilight
It does explain with all that has happened lately.
behind the ear.*
Never thought he'd give Twilight something like that as a gift!
Uh oh!
https://m.going to do without her big brother?*
Glad that's settled.
I was wondering if that place was familiar and Twilight had indeed been there.
Aaaand it just got worse!
That's gotta hurt!
can*
Interesting addition!
Just what she needed.
Considering all that's happened since the Fall Formal, that's a bloody understatement.
out of all the chapters so far this one has got to be one of my favs. The emotions in this one were astonishing. I NEED MORE ANGRY TWILIGHT!! Good job man you never cease to amaze me with your amazing writing !
Im starting to wonder if we will see Midnight Sparkle sometime in the future with the direction Twilight seems to be heading. Im not saying its going to happen, but it feels like a posability.
Impressive.
Unsurprising.
Or both.
That, hm. Not impossible.
Like a chain reaction. Possibly so Tirek will have more to feed on when he comes back.
Probably.
Good speech.
Why indeed. Tirek wants their attention, but for what purpose?
That is demonstrably incorrect.
Oooh, and it's from Chekhov Industries. What? You don't give someone a taser in a story and don't expect it to NOT be used.
Ah. Crapbaskets.
Oh. That's not ideal.
Oh dear...
Yeah, but, that would raise questions.
Yeah...
The worst part is, I get it.
That's, a scary mindset.
Oh that's bad.
I feel like Cell told Tenshinhan something very similar before being repeatedly Shin Kikoho'd into the ground.
Called it.
Huh, so you can punch through the hyponosis with enough willpower. Interesting.
She felt her coming.
That's gotta hurt.
Why do I have a feeling that Twilight's going to try to make her siphon after this.
I know she's not feeling it right now, but she did manage herself well against Adagio. With more time and preparation, I'm sure she could have won, especially if she'd gone with a few modifications to her arsenal. Because as much bluster as Adagio is throwing out, a lot of Twilight's tech worked.
Ouch. Just... ouch.
Ok twilight sparkle going jason todd/red hood on adagio while she being the joker on her, poor twilight going for revenge but failed. Oh I can just here adagio laughing as the joker right now! This chapter was great it really felt like a batman comic book or movie tv show! Like joker once said it takes one....bad.....day.....
Anger, frustration and understandable envy are all doing a number on Twilight. The mention of Stygian and the knowledge of what happened to Pony Stygian has me suspicious and deeply concerned…
...honestly? Twilight did a damn good job on Adagio all things considered. This isn't going to help her frustrations and inferiority complex, but I think when it comes down to a final confrontation, Twilight will be able to hold her own. Yes, Adagio's right that Twilight can't beat her own her own. But I don't think any of the girls can. That's...kind of the point. They're stronger together and become far more than the sum of their parts.
Between this and Adagio, there are definitely cracks in Twilights defenses (and loyalties) that Moondancer (or worse, Tempest/Tirek) could take advantage of ....
Midnight Sparkle is coming. I can feel it and when she does arrive it's gonna be GLORIOUS.
Hehehe..The Midnight Hour is nearly upon us.
Please tell me you didn’t give up on this. It is sooo good.
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They haven't, life gets in the way and writing takes a back seat a lot of the time. I expect we'll hear another update soon, I'm just so excited it's back!
ohmygodohmygodohmygod I am so thrilled by this chapter! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA I can't wait for the next one!
I just read Fragile Peace, and, oh boy, was that a rollercoaster.
I dread Sci-Twi is headed down the same rabbit hole Moondancer went down.
Like Moondancer, Sci-Twi is letting her obsession over being strong, her feelings of insignificance over being the least magical of her friends, and her feelings of inferiority toward her love interest consume her and turn her into a self-centered maniac who puts her ego above the greater good.
While I understand why Sci-Twi went after Adagio, her desire to "act alone" symbolizes Moondancer's self-destructive spiral. On top of not caring about making her friends and family worry about her, especially after her brother nearly died, her pride and need to feel like the hero of the story meant Adagio was able to get away
If Twilight doesn't sit down and take a deep breath, she'll go down the same road as Moondancer did and lose everything close to her.
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It would be deliciously ironic and karmic if Adagio brought about her doom by driving Sci-Twi to become Midnight Sparkle.
Adagio wanted a violent Twilight, so it would be fitting for her to drive Sci-Twi to anger, only to bite off more than she can chew and be overwhelmed by Midnight's power.
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Midnight is about to get it back in blood. She's gonna make adagio suffer and she's gonna enjoy it.
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As tragic as that would be, it would be fitting for Adagio, a spreader of hate, to be brought down by someone who can master the power of hate better.
Looking forward to whether Midnight will rise! It seems to be heading that way and seems like an obvious plot point to use. In previous chapters I thought it would only be lightly touched upon at most but it seems it's growing closer to become full on Midnight Sparkle.
So much angsttttttt. The fight scenes are impeccable and flowing.
Twilight just keeps getting kicked down by the cruel world of magic. Those untranslatle pages might become relevant very soon....