Jaws of the Beast
In the blink of an eye, the early morn had turned into the end of evening. At least, that is what it felt like to the mare as she trudged through mud and brush with no discrimination. She hoped they would be upon the edge of the forest soon, for it had been a long day of physical exertion and no rest for food or water. She was running solely on her excitement at having almost acquired the biggest bounty of her career.
Twilight Sparkle walked obediently behind the bounty hunter as the sun began to set once more below the horizon. She wore a Mithril bracelet on each leg and one on her horn: an inescapable situation for any unicorn, including the one she was being marched to that very instant. Vinyl had taken a rope and tied it around her neck after the librarian had began to move again and grasped it tightly in her magical hold to ensure she would not escape.
Every so often, Vinyl Scratch would try to strike up a conversation with her, possibly to pass the time. Thinking about it, Twilight wondered why she would take such a risk. In woods like this, with her magic properly restrained, a more opportunistic pony could get the jump on her. Then again, she remembered the white unicorn had fought quite adequately, if not for her magical power, but rather how she executed it. Never in a hundred years would Twilight think to make the ground under a pony unstable just by moving it via mundane telekinesis.
No matter how hard she tried to get her to talk, the lavender pony stubbornly refused her. It was not because she was sore about losing the fight to her, but rather that she did not want to have it beaten into her. Besides, small talk had never been her forte. It was not until around noon that the former DJ gave up and walked ahead in silence. All things considered, Twilight figured it could have been worse: she could have been dragged away again, rather than be allowed to walk under her own power.
Maybe it's a gesture of good will? Twilight thought to herself in the present as she stepped over a fallen log. According to Trixie, she's quite honourable. Perhaps allowing me to actually walk behind her is a sign of respect for saving her life from the Barghests? Either way, I hope we reach Canterlot sooner rather than later. I don't like the idea of going to see the maniacal horse, but we'd have to meet eventually, so I might as well get it over and done with.
As soon as the thought crossed her mind, the duo had come to the threshold of the Forest of Burzee with the lights of Canterlot flickering in the distance. Even as she dreaded passing through the gates, she could not help but be in awe of the beauty of the city, even as a native to the alabaster walls and gilded trimmings that it loved to flaunt. Vinyl continued to press forward regardless, obviously eager to claim the reward.
The large fields surrounding the walled town gave the ponies on the battlements a chance to see any advancing creatures long before they tried to sneak up on the city. In the days when she grew up, they served more as a pretty monument rather than serving any practical purpose. However, given the political climate, it was not hard to guess that now they were being used much more seriously.
In no time at all, the two mares had joined the road leading into town and past the massive double doors. Magical street lights flickered to life as the light-sensing spell on the posts triggered the flames. She still found them fascinating, even after getting the full explanation on how they worked. Although the night had only just begun, few citizens were actually outside despite Canterlot's diverse nightlife.
A sharp tug on the rope shook her from her daydreams as Vinyl moved on ahead with disregard to anything around her. The lavender pony quickened her pace to keep up, heart beginning to beat in her chest with every hoof that brought them closer to the castle. She had to start taking deep breaths as they followed the road into the tunnel that connected the town to the ledge upon which the castle perched.
When the castle finally came in sight, a cold sweat began to develop and chills run down her spine. Memories of the day of her... episode bubbled to the surface of her mind. How much worse had the damage been in this world? What would an evil tyrant do to make the castle work better for their means? Thankfully, the exterior looked the same as ever with its spiralling towers of alabaster and gold reaching for the Equestrian sky.
Guards looked on with mouths agape as she was paraded through the outer gardens and towards the drawbridge. Soon, she would be in the castle proper with no real hope for escape. The thought crossed her mind to struggle and break free from her binds, but she would be doing nopony any favours, especially since she would be scooped up immediately upon pulling off the Hoofdini-esque escape.
The twin, solid oak doors leading inside the castle proper slammed shut as an entourage of guards trotted over to meet the pair. Vinyl wore that persistent grin on her face at the looks of disbelief. "Tell Her Majesty that I have captured Twilight Sparkle and wish to claim my reward!" the white mare chirped. A messenger galloped from the scene and up the steps into the throne room. Meanwhile, a tight guard encircled the pair of ponies, just in case.
So far, so good, Twilight thought as she looked around the Entrance Hall. Although identical to how she remembered it, the atmosphere was quite different. Where before it held the kind warmth associated with Celestia, an aura of fear and doubt filled the room like a miasma, creeping down from the doors leading to the throne. Perhaps she could use this to her advantage, when the time came to act?
Alas, she had no time to dwell as the messenger came down the stairs in a hurry. "Her Majesty," he panted for breath, "will see you immediately, Ms. Scratch." With a sharp tug on the rope, the white mare with the electric blue mane started up the main stairs that lead to the throne. Twilight had to struggle to keep her breathing under control as her anxiety mounted exponentially.
Before she knew it, she stood in the vaulted hall of the throne room, everything exactly as she remembered it, so that was a good sign. However, on the seat of power, instead of her mentor and creator was the demon horse in all her glory. It took all of Twilight's willpower to keep herself from angrily charging her, the rational approach encouraged by the voice in the back of her head. Keep calm. There will be a time to fight, but it is not now. Stick to your plan, Twilight.
"Your majesty," Vinyl bowed before the monarch. "I have captured the wanted criminal, Twilight Sparkle, alive as required by the bounty." Queen Eos quirked an eyebrow at the pair before her, lavender eyes locked on her doppelganger the entire time the other mare spoke. Twilight's heart raced in her chest as she looked back into those identical pools, cold and unreadable in their intent.
She's unlikely to do anything harmful to me, the lavender unicorn repeated. After all, the fact that she specified I was to be captured alive suggests that she is uncertain if killing me could potentially kill herself as well. So, as long as I do nothing to tick her off, I'm safe. Then, I can use the time given to me to plot my route and get to Rarity, then to the Royal Archives.
The overall plan was simple, as with most successful plans. Most castles were designed to be near impossible to infiltrate, so breaking in would be more trouble than it was worth. When Vinyl came along, a workaround entered her mind. By letting the white mare capture her, she could get into Canterlot with no trouble. Sure, she would be locked in the dungeons, but she knew the interior of the castle like the bottom of her hoof. Not only would she get in with ease, but she would also eliminate a thorn in her side.
Queen Eos descended the throne and walked over to the purple mare, Vinyl having filed to the side while she was musing on her plan. She could not help but notice a slight limp in the queen's stride: obviously Rainbow's handiwork. A magical aura enveloped the unicorn, scaring her at first as scenarios of being banished to the moon ran through her mind. Thankfully, the spell was merely prodding for any magical disturbances, such as disguises or transformation.
She eyed her curiously, an eyebrow quirked as the court held its breath. The queen herself seemed to mull something over before she finally cleared her throat. "Stardance?"
"Yes, your highness?" called a colt sitting in the advisor's chair.
"Please inform the Royal Treasury to make a five hundred thousand bit cheque for the successful capture of wanted fugitive Twilight Sparkle. It is to be made payable to miss Vinyl Scratch. Guards? Please escort Miss Sparkle to the dungeons where she shall be interred for the foreseeable future. I think this would be a good time to close court for the night. Dismissed."
The guards advanced on the small unicorn and grabbed the rope wrapped around her neck. With no sign of protest, the doppelganger was lead away, down into the dungeons where she could be kept under watch. Although it was a hit to the royal coffers, it was well worth the money to see that mare locked up like she belonged. With a few words of gratitude towards the bounty hunter responsible for her capture, the alicorn began the trek up to her room for her evening pill.
She let a rare smile creep upon her face as the weight of all the anxiety and worry she felt over the last few days lifted from her back. An occasion like this needed celebrating: the good wine as opposed to the cheap stuff she used when she had her little meltdown. "I'm going to have a nice bubble bath, read a good book and just relax for once. Nuts to the war for tonight. In fact, I just might do this for a couple of days! I could use it after..."
Eos winced at the memory of the other day, seared into her brain like a cruel brand. His voice still grated at her ears and the sharpness of his teeth still made her flesh quiver in pain. Nor could she forget the cold stare of those green eyes. He was a perfect monster; the epitome of all evil and malice... and he... he... She shook her head free of the bad memory. It was not the time to remorse, but to celebrate! With a flourish of her horn, the twin doors leading into her suite opened, allowing her the chance to breathe.
~*/\/\/\*/\/\/\*/\/\/\*~
A couple of days previously, the queen of Equestria was perched upon her throne while listening to the petty ramblings of the commoners, as usual. There had been nothing really noteworthy from their complaints or criticism, so after about the fourth delegate she tuned them out until they were finished before asking her advisor for the gist of the lecture. Overall, it was fairly standard procedure for her.
However, that all came crashing to a halt right before her lunch break when a more unusual petitioner stepped into the throne room. "Announcing," boomed the herald, "The Honourable Minty Green, Mayor of the Village of Green Acres." Immediately afterward, a scared stallion trotted into the room, doffing his black top hat as a sign of respect for the immortal monarch before him. True to his name, he was a minty green stallion with hair of dirt brown and the mark of a mint leaf. He stood there awkwardly for a couple of minutes, running one of his front hooves through the back of his mane.
"Well?" The queen pressed impatiently. "What is it you have to discuss that cannot be taken up with your Governor, Mr. Green? Surly, you know better than to waste my time with petty annoyances, correct?" The stallion gulped audibly and ceased rubbing his mane.
"You, uh... you see your... er... majesty..." he trailed as he chose his words carefully. "A few days ago, our village was attacked."
"A pressing issue to be certain," the queen interrupted. "Yet, it is the Prime Minister who is the ultimate authority for such military matters." Thinking on it though, she felt a shiver run down her spine. If she remembered correctly, Green Acres was at least sixty miles from the front. Unless they were doing deep-territory bombings, the dragons and griffons could not get that far without her knowing.
"Well... we weren't attacked due to the war, your Majesty."
"What do you mean?"
The stallion took a deep breath to collect his nerves. He had no idea how she would react to the news, and despite having done no wrong, he still feared how she would react. "A couple of days ago, a pair of foals, just fillies, entered the woods to play. They were gone for hours, so we naturally rounded up a search party. We found them near a spot they were known to frequent, but... they... they were found dead. I dare not speak the details, but they were eaten, possibly alive, but it was not a normal predator.
"You see, shortly after finding them, we heard laughter and saw a pony... a black stallion with black hair and vivid, green eyes standing at the edge of the clearing. He mocked us, and two of our guard charged him, but he vanished and reappeared in a different place. He... he called himself... Nightmare, your highness!"
Several ponies in the court gasped, no doubt due to the shockwaves from the Nightmare Moon incident eleven years previous, but Eos knew they did not know even the half of what was going on. In Celestia's private library, she had found texts on the spirit which possessed Princess Luna and turned her into a demon. If he was roaming Equestria without possessing a body then it could only mean far more trouble than a few irate dragons and griffons.
"Very well then," Eos spoke after the clamour died down. "I shall travel to the Whitetail Woods and deal with this threat myself, since no mortal pony would stand a chance against such a powerful and evil spirit. Those two fillies shall be avenged."
And that is how she found herself in the present moment, wandering the forest to walk into the jaws of the beast itself. At first glance, it seemed unlikely he lingered at the scene of a crime; then again, perhaps he did, to feed off the residual pain and sadness from his escapade. The one thing that was consistent about him over all records was that Nightmare was a very unpredictable monster. Still, he was not chaotic like Discord, who could have been anywhere and everywhere, had she herself not taken certain measures.
According to the records, he liked to dwell in the coldest part of the Sorrel Hells when not in his own Nightmare Realm. As such, when in the mortal world, he would bring with him the unearthly cold, which would slowly spread over a wide area. Since the Whitetail Woods were colder than normal, it made a logical start to begin her search pattern. It was simply a matter of getting the jump on him.
Eos's hoofsteps made little sound as they crunched down on the forest floor. Her ears stood erect to detect even a trace amount of sound, yet she walked forward with dignity befitting her station, despite having left her vestments behind. It had been a few hours since she started and she had not seen or felt a single sign of his presence besides the temperature.
Perhaps he was hiding from her divine fury? Or maybe he had not sensed the challenger's presence yet? Either way, the queen was beginning to feel on edge, as if the precipice was just a hoof away in super dense fog. Maybe it was the absence of other creatures, or the slowly crushing cold as she drew closer to the beast she sought to destroy? She shook her head as it threatened to sweep her up into another uncharacteristic mood.
However, that would have not been a problem for long as the temperature quickly dipped below freezing. Her breath came out in puffs of white steam as she tried to fight her instinct to look around wildly. He had to be close, but she could neither hear nor see anything other than her own steps. Eventually, she came to a large, empty clearing with a pile of mossy stones in the centre. From afar, it looked like the remains of a statue, but the rusted iron door told her it was an entrance to some underground space.
A tingle washed down her spine as she walked across the open field. The cold had become so prominent that the blades of grass cracked underhoof, for they were frozen solid. The carcasses of felled birds and other small woodland critters littered the clearing, with the stench of death palatable in the air. He had to be close: she could feel it in her bones. The only question that remained, however, was from where he would appear to face her.
"Well, well, well," spoke an ethereal voice. It was no louder than a whisper, but echoed with as much power as the queen herself could muster. "What have we here? Her royal Highness is out for a stroll in the woods. You are quite a ways from Canterlot, I daresay."
Eos turned as fast as she could to see herself facing an earth pony stallion whose coat and mane were black as night and eyes as green as polished emeralds. He grinned at her, teeth gleaming in the evening sunlight. "You are far too easy to track, Queen Eos. I could have ambushed you at any moment for the past two hours. From what I hear, Twilight Sparkle is no better."
She did her best to keep her royal composure, but his attitude was just too smug for her to bear. "You made a big mistake by attacking my subjects, Nightmare! Now, you're going to pay the price!"
"Are they REALLY your subjects?" he smirked. "From what I've seen, they regard Celestia and Luna as their leaders. You are just a usurper they have to put up with until somepony can figure out how to poison a god! Even Celestia, at her worst as a tyrant, could keep a rebellion down, but you can't even handle that. You're like a foal groping in the dark and soon, the boogeymare in the closet will GET YOU!" A deep, cold laugh echoed from his mouth as his eyes gleamed in triumph.
"Silence! Prepare to DIE!" Eos yelled as a magical attack flashed in her horn. A hundred knives made of light surrounded her before shooting towards the demon before her. Nightmare did his best to avoid the attacks, but when razor-sharp knives of light fly at the speed of light, it's all but impossible to dodge. He cried out and writhed on the ground as knife after knife pierced his body. In between, he hissed like an extremely agitated snake and yelped like a dog.
After a couple of seconds, the queen stopped her attack and approached the pin cushion she had made. A nagging in the back of her mind, however, told her a creature as evil as that would not go down easily. In fact, as she drew no more than a couple of meters away, he began to snicker. "I apologize," he spoke with mirth. "I simply could not contain my excitement! It has been too long since I had a fight with another immortal."
Springing to his hooves, wisps of black smoke surrounded his body, shedding his pony disguise for the true nature of his beastly form. His canine features fitted the description of a predator to a tee, or so Eos thought before he vanished. She looked around, expecting an attack from behind before a sudden weight hit her back, nearly breaking it. But that was nothing to compare to the feeling of over a dozen razor sharp teeth ripping into the back of her neck, cleaving flesh from bone in one fell swoop!
Sharp claws dug into her back before he jumped in front of her, swallowing the large chunk of meat in his mouth. "It has been a long time since I had Alicorn; delicious, simply delicious!" Eos struggled back to her hooves as blood cascaded down her shoulders and dripped onto the frozen grass, rage burning in her eyes as she watched him lick his blood-soaked lips. "Well, are you going to take your turn?" he added impatiently, tapping his forward-left paw against the ground.
Eos growled in anger and charged her horn with a flash of magic to appear right behind him and match his attack in ferocity. "Aww," he spoke even as she charged her horn. "The cute little Alicorn is SO predictable," he spoke in the tone of voice a pony would only use when talking to a baby. With a gravelly chuckle, he dodged her attack and rounded on her, sharp claw growing on the ends of his paws. In a flash, she was on the dirt, crying with pain and blinded as the claws burst her eyes like grapes.
"If you ARE trying to kill me, you are doing a very poor job... Twilight Sparkle. I expected more from the mare who killed both Celestia and Luna. Do you want to know a secret, Twilight?" He drew close to her unseeing eyes and gently nipped the end of her muzzle, tearing off a small strip of flesh. He lapped at the blood happily before drawing close to her ear. "You let me out."
"I've heard some lies in my day, but that one is just ridiculous!" the queen shouted as she rubbed the blood out of her healing eyes. "I didn't do anything to let out such an evil, despicable MULE like yourself!"
"Didn't you?" he smiled. "You killed Celestia and Luna, which plunged the country into war and sparked the rebellion. I exist in the darkness of the hearts of all ponykind. Your actions have caused so much hurt, pain, death and destruction that I am free to come and go as I please. Thank you, my liege! I owe you my freedom! Allow me to thank you better."
He bent down and pressed his muzzle against her face, sending shivers down her spine as the deathly-cold touch of his tongue against her cheek raced over her body and made her hairs stand on end. Eos pulled away as fast as she could, her rational mind paralyzed from both fear and anger. He laughed at her reaction, no doubt smirking with those razor-sharp teeth. "Oh, you're no FUN to torment," he sighed. "So, I might as well go home and relax before spreading more delicious darkness. But before I do, allow me to thank you further. Your doppelganger will be in your custody soon. How long you hold onto her, however, is YOUR choice, Sparkles. Goodbye!"
The distinct sound of the demon teleporting told her that it was all over. As much as she wanted to deny him, that stupid inner voice refused. He's right, you know. It IS our fault things have come to this, she sighed mentally.
"No!" Eos spoke. "I refuse to listen to him! HEAR ME, NIGHTMARE!? I WILL KILL YOU SOMEDAY! MARK MY WORDS!!!"
It's official: you are COMPLETELY delusional.
~*/\/\/\*/\/\/\*/\/\/\*~
How could she go through with it? She had come and gone so many times; she had been away for so long without anything more than a note left on the kitchen table. She would be mad at her, but perhaps the relief might be enough to forgo any punishment she rightfully deserved? Granted, the mare beyond the door had quite the temper when agitated, and an ego to match her own.
Vinyl Scratch looked upon the apartment door once more and raised her hoof to knock, but slowly withdrew it after a short pause. She bit her lip in apprehension and scuffed the linoleum floor with her front hoof. Why was it always the supposedly easy things in life that turned out to be the hardest? "Just knock on the door and say you're home to stay," she spoke quietly to herself. "Tavi will be glad to see you. She always is... after her initial hissy fit."
Taking a deep, invigorating breath, she threw caution to the wind and knocked loudly on the door to finally end the stupid waiting. After a couple of seconds of waiting, the door opened to the frazzled face of her oldest friend in the world. "Oh, it's you, Scratch," Octavia spoke with a sigh of relief. "I thought you might have been... never mind. Please, come inside."
The white unicorn slowly walked into their new shared apartment to find it cleaned within an inch of its life. Every surface was bare unless absolutely necessary. Some even gleamed or sparkled as the sunlight hit it! It was a blurred mess of colour too. Once she had the operation, she was sure that the style of the place would grow on her, but for the moment, it just made her sick.
"So, how long are you going to 'crash' for this time, Vinyl?" the gray mare asked with annoyance evident in her voice. Sometimes, the white pony would stay for only a day. Other times, she would linger up to a month before another 'exciting' bounty came up.
"Hmm... hard to say," she pretended to think. "I was thinking about maybe resting my tunes here for a few beats and chillin' to a different song, filly!"
Octavia sighed and applied a hoof to her face. "You do not need to talk to me that way, Vinyl. Besides, it's really, really annoying! Anypony who looks at your flank can recognize your talent is music. Do not be obnoxious." The DJ grinned as a little bit of a blush flashed across her muzzle and rubbed the back of her head. "Now, can you repeat your answer in plain Equestrian this time?"
"I was thinkin' I'd live here for, what, four, five years? As long as the rent holds up anyway!" The white pony trotted over to the sofa and abruptly plopped herself on top of it, bouncing a little as the springs absorbed the force of her body weight. With a casual flex of her magic, a red aura enveloped her purple shades and gently placed them on the side table. "Ahhh. This beats camping any day!"
"Wait a second," her friend started as the cogs in her mind ground together. "Are you saying that you, Vinyl Scratch, are coming home... to stay? As in no more bounties or dangerous missions?"
"Nope! Totally done with that biz! Went out, caught Twilight Sparkle and BAM! Five hundred g's in the bank, filly! Although..." she trailed as the thought welled up in her mind once more.
"Although what?" She could not hide the slight hints of concern in her voice.
"Well... I think she kind of WANTED me to catch her, for whatever reason. Not that I'm complaining much. If she wanted to, I'd be dead as a horseshoe nail by now! But, it makes me feel a little mad if she did, because I wanted to catch her with my own skill alone, you see?"
"Skill... right..." Without warning, the grey mare threw herself onto her friend, who could only yelp and kick in protest as she was brought into a deep, bracing hug. "Oh, I am so glad you are home! Do you have any idea how much I worry about you out there, Scratch? You might be a crazy moron, but you are MY crazy moron and my best friend! I could not imagine the world without your brand of insanity."
"Tavi, you're... smothering me!"
"Oh, it figures! I decide to be sentimental and it is suddenly wrong, but when YOU want to be that way it is okay? Talk about double standards!" However, when she stepped off of her friend, the fading blue in her face told her that she was not kidding about being slowly asphyxiated, causing the normally composed cellist to blush and suddenly become interested in a spot on the floor.
After regaining her breath, DJ-P0n3 rolled off of the couch and coughed a little from nearly being hugged to death. "So yeah, bounty's collected which means I can go in for that surgery any time! Even with this stupid war! But, I think I'll hold off for the moment. Things feel like they're getting more intense, you know? I don't want to get it just to bite the dust a few days later, you know?"
"Yes. I think I can sympathize with those feelings, Vinyl." With a quick look around, the gray mare soon realized she had forgot one of the most important parts of being a good host. "Um... would you like something to eat or drink after your long trip?"
Smiling back at her, the white mare replied, "Sure, I'd like that, 'Tavi." Although she'd occasionally drive her nuts with her nigh continuous cleaning, Vinyl had to admit that it was good to be home once more. Even in the uncertain future, she felt confident that through it all, their friendship would remain as strong as it ever was. But, she had no way of knowing just how much things had changed with her best and oldest friend in the entire world.
~*/\/\/\*/\/\/\*/\/\/\*~
Buried deep under the alabaster halls of Canterlot Castle were the grey, damp and depressing labyrinth of tunnels and halls known as the basement. Like most other buildings of importance, visitors rarely got to see the anthesis to the regal grandeur above. Yet, even then there was more below the surface, for past an inconspicuous door there was a set of stairs leading down, lit only by torches.
The dungeons had not seen any real use, outside of captured infiltrators since about two hundred years after Princess Luna was banished to the moon. In all that time, the only thing to change about the dungeons was the torches used to light the dim, depressing blackened stone corridors and the guards who sought to keep the imprisoned within their cells.
Each room was identical, about two meters wide by four meters deep with a little hole in the stones like in the dragon's dungeons. However, it was open to the outside, albeit far too small for a pony to fit through, so it did not smell nearly as bad. Rings of iron were embedded into the walls and floor to help secure the more active and dangerous ponies from aspirations of escape. A narrow, reinforced wooden door with locking slots for the delivery of food was the only way in or out, discoloured by seeping groundwater through the stones.
Twilight Sparkle was now one such inmate, but strangely, she had not made a fuss about being locked up so far below ground. The guards did not complain, however, since they were far too busy dealing with another, more irritatingly resistant pony. She had heard the name 'Jade' thrown around a couple of times, but the purple unicorn had no idea who she was, or what she could do to help her.
Inside the cell furthest from the exit, the purple unicorn lay on a bed of hay. It had been over twenty-four hours since being locking inside the tiny, depressing cell, but she had yet to see even a hint of food. For all their torturing and dastardly deeds, the dragons kept her fed and watered, at least. Perhaps Queen Eos was trying to break her will subtly? After all, she did know that she was a golem, if not because she was some perverse alternate extension of herself, but because Rarity might have told her under the influence that one time.
Trixie and Spike had tried to turn her against the idea of releasing the white tailor from her gilded cage, but she had been adamant in her rescue. Twilight was never a pony to put all her eggs into one basket, hence why she would at least explore the option of going into the Sorrel Hells while she was rescuing her friend. Granted, she did not like the option, but it was better than making up with the dem- pony in the back of her mind, or marching to her doom against the queen.
Yet, now was not the time to think about such things. She was trying to recall her various books about the tactics and techniques used by her favourite magician, Hairy Hoofdini. He had made countless escapes from more secure places than this with nothing on him but his hooves and his horn. Heck, in most cases he even had his magic suppressed as well! So, she lay calmly on her pile of hay, chained to the wall with her limbs in Mithril braces.
A plan began to form in her brain slowly as her knowledge of the castle layout and guard routines churned with her skills in magic. Once free of the binds, it would be a cake walk to traverse the castle... at least, until the queen was informed and joined the hunt herself. She would have to be quick finding Rarity's room and even quicker to get her out before they killed her as a traitor. They probably didn't change the location of the security center, Twilight mused. So, since Rarity is more or less here against her will, they probably have her under surveillance. But how do I find out where her room is?
In the end, she figured there were some things she could not plan for and would have to make it up on the fly. It worried her, but at least she could barricade the office when she got there, if she felt the need. But even then, the hardest part would not be getting to her, or getting her out of the castle, but convincing her she was not there to mislead her and to come with her, Trixie, and Spike.
Again, it was another one of those things that she could not plan, and would have to play by ear when the time came for it. She opened her eyes to find the room in the same state as usual, except now her breath came out as steam from her muzzle, telling her that night had descended at last. The sound of hooves on the stone floor outside told her the guard had come to check on her condition, telling her two hours had passed since the last time.
The idea of feigning sick had crossed her mind before, but she had no doubt that the queen had told her guards that she could not get sick that easily, or that if she had then they were to ignore her since she could not die anyway. The upper latch in the door opened, an amber eye peering in to meet her purple ones before it closed and the hoofsteps became more distant. It was then she decided her time to move would be after the next time he checked. Then it would be late enough to catch them unawares, but not late enough for Rarity to be asleep.
So, she waited patiently once more for the stallion to come and go. As soon as those amber eyes peered in again and shut the latch, her heart began beat in her chest like a runaway locomotive. Once she was sure he was gone, she set to work. She stood to her hooves with a clatter from the chains and nosily trotted over to a specific stone in the wall. It stuck out no more than a couple of centimetres from the rest of the wall, but it would do for now.
Twilight reached up and rested her shackled right-front hoof so that the top was against the top of the brick. Using her other front hoof for leverage, she pulled the right one back while forcing the shackle to remain in place. It was clasped tightly around her appendage and refused to budge, but she would not give up. She grunted and bit her lip as she felt the cool metal begin to cut into her flesh from the pressure.
Blood flowed freely down her leg the more she pushed. Hoofdini never had this problem, so why did she? After a couple of minutes of enduring the pain, she gave up and rested her head against the cold stone. She calmed herself down and looked at the small puddle of blood forming when an idea hit her! She held the bleeding hoof up and let the blood pool around the lip of the cuff before wiggling it around to let some fall into the gap.
Placing the hoof back into position, she tried again, finding the cuff moving a lot more easily once it has a source of lubrication. In no time at all, the mithril cuff slipped off the end of her leg. One down, three more to go! As she felt the free hoof begin to heal, she reached up to her horn and gently wiggled the ring off. Now, all she had to do was remove one more, and then she could overload the other two and break free at last!
Unfortunately, by the time she removed the second ring, the blood on the floor and on her leg had dried up. So, rather than beat around the bush, she took the tip of her horn and pushed into her leg with it until she felt the warmth of blood trickle down. Repeating the same procedure that led to success, the purple mare slipped off the second cuff much more easily then the first. All that remained were the two on her back legs. Okay, here we go!
Closing her eyes in concentration, the mare felt the magic build up in her body despite the two bracelets attempting to resist. Familiar warmth spilled out from her insides and covered her body like a soft blanket made of pure mana. If she opened her eyes, she was sure another pony would see them glowing white, like brilliant little slivers of sunlight on a clear summer's day.
Just when she thought that they would never break, a quick succession of loud cracks filled the cell as bits of metal broke and clanked against the hard floor and walls. She quickly stopped pouring out the magic and looked at her flank. Confirming her suspicions, the two bracelets clamped to her legs were broken and lay askew upon the floor. Phase one of her plan had gone off without a hitch!
However, a new sound filled her ears as hoofsteps ran down the hall outside. Naturally, the guards had heard the chains snap and were coming to investigate. Twilight charged up her horn in preparation, stared daggers at the wooden door, and lay in wait for the slightest sign of movement. As if on cue, the steps died away right in front of her door, the seconds turning into minutes from the adrenaline flooding into her system.
The wooden panel slid to the side, the familiar amber eyes just starting to come into view. They had no time to comprehend what they saw before all hell broke loose. With a major, concentrated blast of wind, the door was blown off its hinges and pretty much evaporated in an instant, throwing the poor stallion against the wall as wooden shrapnel rained down all around him.
Down the hall, a second guard watched the whole thing unfold. He had to hold his ears as the sound of the breaking door rang in his ears from the confined space. Out of the dust, the purple mare stepped out, his friend against the opposite wall and bleeding heavily. Before he had a chance to react, her horn sparked and suddenly he was overcome with green light. He fell to the floor unceremoniously, unable to move or speak as she causally trotted over his body.
Although she was mentally prepared to injure ponies that got in her way or were an annoyance, she still refused to outright kill them. She did still have her morals, after all, which is why she decided to only stun the second guard. As much as she wanted to, she had no idea what cell this 'Jade' character was in, nor did she have the time to check. There was no doubt that several ponies had heard her explosive escape.
So, she made a beeline for the stairs leading out of the dungeons. No other ponies were seen along the way, or even going up the stairs. She paused at the top and listened intently for the sound of rushing hooves, pressing her ear to the door just to make sure. However, when she heard none and tried to open the door, she found it was locked from the outside. One of the guards must have activated a sealing spell before rushing off to investigate!
Like that would really stop her? With a charge of her horn, she let out another torrent of air and shattered the door where it stood, raining debris all over the outside hall. If nopony knew she had escaped before, they definitely would know now. So, not to waste any time, Twilight applied her invisibility spell, blending into the background before she trotted down the hall and towards where she knew the security office would be.
Shortly after donning her illusory disguise, ponies both guard and other workers in the castle alike came down to investigate the cause of the disturbance. It would not be long until the news spread through the guard and they would seek the queen, unless they were stupid enough to think they could take her on. Still, one should never underestimate other ponies.
Rushing through the halls of Canterlot proved to be easier said than done, naturally, as she would have to slow down to a literal crawl sometimes when a pony would round the bend so they did not become suspicious. Naturally, the security office was also in the basement, but it was on the opposite end from the dungeons and a fair ways away from any staircase that she knew of. It was like the universe was conspiring to rob her of as much time as possible.
Thankfully, she was upon her target sooner rather than later, the brass plaque glimmering beside a suit of tarnished armour that could not be displayed on the main levels. Twilight pushed her invisible ear against the door and concentrated on her magic. It was one of the spells Luna had taught her: astral projection. She could ascertain the contents of a room before entering at the risk of leaving her body unattended. Thankfully, it did not cancel out any spells currently in place, but it could only be used for a couple of seconds unless she concentrated on it fully.
The room was fairly small and white, decorated with the odd poster or small plant. However, taking up the majority of the room was a large display made up of about sixteen screens, all showing various locations in the castle. Two armed ponies sat in seats at the console, speaking into microphones in an attempt to organize the chaos. In a mixed blessing, the queen's chambers were exempt. However, before she could get a better look, she was thrust back into her visible body.
Wasting no time, the purple mare yanked the door open and shot two green stunning spells at the guards. Before they had time to react, they were both slumped over the console. She shut the door behind her, since it would still be a minute or two before anypony realized they were not responding or giving aid. A quick scan of the monitors yielded the word 'Rarity' below a set of double doors she knew was on the third floor in the east main corridor.
However, if she left things as they were, then the queen would have a record of her exploits. Looking to the left, she saw a water cooler she missed while snooping with her projection spell and lifted it before spilling the contents on the console. Sparks shot out in all directions as smoke softly billowed from under the keys, but it still was not enough for her. Using her magic, she sent enough electricity into the system to overload the monitors, making them burst in a shower of glass.
Satisfied with her work, Twilight opened the door again and put on her invisibility disguise. Now that she knew where to find her friend, a potential route quickly came to her mind. There was a hidden staircase not too far off from her room that she had used all the time as a filly to sneak down to the library from her quarters, past all the guards so that she could get in some after-hours study.
After an exhilarating romp down the hall, she had to skid to a stop as she almost missed the hidden visual cue to the stairs. It was a mild discolouration of the stone from a dark gray to a lighter shade. It was a room that had been abandoned and blockaded, but the trigger for the stairs was nearby. Lightly tapping her hoof against the left wall, she pressed her ear against it to listen for the characteristic hollow thump.
A smile came upon her face once she heard the gentle sound. It was not much of a difference, considering the mechanisms behind it, but to the attuned ear it was invaluable. With a little more force, she pushed in the brick with a low grind as it rubbed against its neighbours. The familiar sound of ticking clockwork filled the air before a crack appeared along the mortar lines. A jet of dusty air blasted out from the difference in pressure before a section of wall receded and pulled to the side to reveal the stairs.
With a quick trot and flex of her magic, the secret door slammed behind her before magical torches sprang to life to illuminate the old stairway. As she ascended the narrow stone passage, the prevalence of the cobwebs told her that it had not been used in years. If Eos still cared it existed, then she never used it. It was a shame, really, since the shortcut had served her well over the years, and not just for midnight excursions to the library.
Out of the public eye, she dropped the illusion spell keeping her hidden to conserve energy as well as maintain her astral projection for longer without worry of discovery. Once upon the third floor, she cast her spell, feeling the cool magic gently coax her out of her body and into the world on a spiritual level. Sticking her head through the solid stone, she made sure the coast was clear, more out of reflex than need, given she was invisible and intangible.
A canter down the hall lead her outside the door she spotted in the security office flanked by two small statues of rearing mares in identical dresses. Poking her head inside, she breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of her friend Rarity working over a large ensemble. The room reminded her of Carousel Boutique in more ways than one, possibly due to size, shape and general decor. However, there was no time to admire it.
With a wave of magic from her horn, she was thrust back into her waiting body, reeling a bit from the force of the hit. A stone on the right side of the marked door jutted out, the obvious switch to opening it from the inside. However, as she stepped into the hall, she heard shouting coming from around the very near corner. With no time to cast her disguise, she abandoned stealth and loudly galloped upon the marble floors and threw open the doors.
Rarity was in the middle of putting some thread through the eye of her needle when the door slammed behind her. In her state, the white mare jumped with an audible yelp, dropping both implements from her telekinetic hold. "Of all the- WHAT CAD WOULD DARE TO DISTURB MY WOR-" Her jaw dropped as she wheeled to chew out the pony that intruded on her royal commission. There, locking the door with her magic was none other than Twilight!
"T-Twilight!?" she gasped, thrown for a loop. Even if she said 'no' she could tell it was her old friend. Her blue aura with the oddly cold and mechanical feeling cemented it.
"Hey, Rarity," she struggled for breath as she slumped against the door. "I... I came to talk with you. About what happened."
"Oh, darling!" Rarity cried before running forward and embracing her fellow unicorn into a tight hug, throwing her off guard. "I missed you so much! I... I thought I would never see you again! I'm so-o-o sorry that I abandoned you and our friends but she bullied me and got me drunk! I'm so path-eh-tic!" She openly sobbed into her shoulder, a tidal wave of emotions overcoming her in that instant.
"Uh... there, there, Rarity?" She tried to soothe, gently stroking her back with a hoof. "I'm sorry I can't comfort you, but there isn't much time. I forgive you if you felt like I was never coming back, but right now I need you to be the strong, mature friend I remember you to be. Please. All of our other friends have broken my heart. I don't need you to shatter it completely."
Instead of responding, the white mare elected to simply continue her sobbing, too emotionally distraught to talk back. If it was all some glorious, stress-induced hallucination, she did not want it to end since for the first moment in the longest time, she had a true friend by her side! "Wh-what did you want to talk about, Twilight?" she forced herself to reply.
"I need your help, Rarity. I want to try and snap our friends out of their delusions, but I can't do it on my own. Spike and Trixie are already on my side and agree with me on this, but I don't think we can kill Queen Eos without the Elements of Harmony... or at least most of the ponies they represent."
"I... I don't know, Twilight," she spoke as she broke off their hug. "I mean... well... I've seen the queen angry and... and it's scary, to say the very least. Oooh... but you are my friend. I just... I don't know where I would do the most good anymore."
"Rarity, what do you think is worse? Seeing Eos angry, or... or letting her reign for as long as it takes to drive Equestria into the ground and destroy everyone and everything we care about?"
They sat in silence for some time, the white mare pacing the room to give the issue some real thought before she committed to it. Yes, the queen had been extremely emotionally abusive to her, but at the same time, she made sure she had everything she could need. Of course, she was only a few hundred bits shy of paying off her debt, but what did it mean if she had no friends and a war-torn economy that could not support her lifestyle?
"I... I agree, Twilight. Yes. I shall go with you... but how do you plan to get us BOTH out of the castle ALIVE!?"
"Well... I haven't got the details ironed out yet, but I made it here without detection, didn't I?"
Suddenly, a series of loud pounds came upon the door, startling both of the mares inside. "Open this door, in the name of the queen!" a guard on the other side shouted. The two mares exchanged looks of horror with one another before he spoke again. "We KNOW you're in there with somepony, Miss Rarity! Open up, the both of you!"
Sweat began to run down her brow as the pressure mounted. They knew Rarity had company, but they did not know who exactly. But, if she were to disappear... either way, they were likely going to blame her and label her a subversive! What could she possibly do to help save her friend!? Twilight... spoke that voice in her head. I have an idea, but it is risky and I doubt you would like it. I wouldn't normally recommend it, but it's the only way we can let Rarity off the hook completely!
"No way! I'm not listening to you!" she quietly scolded the voice, earning a strange look from Rarity.
But... please... just listen to me, she pleaded. If you take her shape, you can roam without fear. Book it to the archives, find what you need and get out of there! Plus, you could help Rarity get out! Otherwise, she WILL die!
Twilight groaned in frustration as she tried to come up with her own, better plan. Yet, the more she dwelled on it, the more she realized she would have to take the risk, or else lose the only friend she could trust. "Hmm... Rarity? Can you ever leave the castle?"
"What?"
"Does the queen ever let you out of the castle!?"
"Oh... well, sometimes so I can go into town and get fabrics," she answered while a little bit confused. "Why do you ask?"
"I have an idea. It's dangerous, but it can get us both off of the hook and you out of the castle. Trixie and Spike should meet you on the edge of the woods. Tell them I fell behind, if they ask. There is... something I need to do on my own. Just promise me that you won't scream." Rarity nodded her head, genuinely curious even as the burly stallions moved to break down the door.
An explosion of gold light filled the room and surrounded her body, quickly obscuring her body with light. It was a gamble, to be sure, but she knew she was right when she said Rarity would die if they did not come up with a good excuse. By the time the stallions had burst through the door, the flames had died down and the spell had taken effect. There, standing before them was the unicorn Rarity and... their queen naked before them! Pretend to be mad, the voice suggested.
"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!" Twilight shouted with authority. "Can I not seek consultation from my tailor in peace!? EXPLAIN YOURSELVES!"
"W-well..." the guard trailed as he prostrated himself before the 'queen.' "T-Twilight Sparkle escaped from the dungeons, so we figured she came in here!" he half squealed.
"I see," the lavender alicorn pondered. "Set up a perimeter around the castle. She knows the layout too well for you to stop her inside and she can teleport. Do not underestimate her. Dismissed." The stallions gladly departed from their presence, leaving the doors wide open. "Well, how was that? Did I sound like her, Rarity?" she smiled in a softer tone of voice.
"Y-yes... how did-?"
"A couple of spells I learned from Trixie thrown into a mix," she answered her obvious question with a lie. "Do you have anything I can wear? I doubt she'd strut around the castle naked."
"Yes. I have some spares of her usual vestments in my drawers." Rarity, while a little shaken retained her usual decorum. With the shoes, crown and necklace upon her body, the two trotted down the stairs and over to the entrance hall. The guards were hard at work emptying the castle on her order in a double move to reduce the likelihood of the REAL Eos catching wind to the circumstance and to clear her path out of the castle.
"Miss Rarity is going into town to gather some fabrics for a gown she is working on. She has my royal permission to remain unescorted, since I trust her not to run off," Twilight addressed the gate guard. Unable to argue against her, he lowered the drawbridge and allowed her to cross. With a final, knowing look they shared, she was off to freedom. All that remained were the archives. Taking a breath, she charged her horn and teleported into the dank depths of the dungeons once more.
As soon as she arrived, the golden flames returned, stealing the royal form out of sight of anypony. "Thanks," she spoke to the phantom in her mind. You're welcome, she replied simply. Twilight could have teleported before, but magical sensors in the castle would have given her position away. Now that they were all outside, however, she could travel much faster.
All the time spent planning lead to her finding the book she needed all the faster, and not a moment too soon as the castle rocked the instant she found the book, causing dust to fall from the ceiling. Obviously, Queen Eos was now aware of her escape, if not how she stole her identity. She flipped through the ancient book as fast as she dared, since the pages threatened to crumble with every turn.
However, just as soon as she came upon the page she needed, the door into the archive burst open in an explosion of magic. Eos was in the room, and she was pissed off. "TWILIGHT SPARKLE!!!" she shouted in primordial rage. "HOW DARE YOU PRETEND TO BE ME!!! I WILL MAKE YOU SUFFER UNTO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH, YOU WRETCHED TWERP!!!" The lavender mare read as fast as she could, internalizing the information as quickly as she physically could.
Eos, meanwhile, had stormed to her aisle, mane and tail aflame in rage. Unbeknownst to the alicorn, her anger had ignited some cobwebs and, by extension, the books. "Look at what you're doing to the books!" Twilight cried out in horror when she noticed. It seemed to do the trick, as a similar horrified gasp overcame her counterpart. Using her lax in concentration, Twilight charged her horn and teleported as far away as she possibly could!
Several miles away, in a small clearing on the outskirts of Ponyville, she appeared in a flash of purple light. Twilight was disoriented from the long-distance teleport, but that was the least of her concerns. The way to the hells was located a short distance from Trottingham, and Edophious was in the deepest one. But despite everything she had been through, only one thing disturbed her. "She was more like me then I realized!"
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Note: To all the biology buffs out there, I KNOW I messed up on the whole 'blood lubrication' bit and that it does not actually work that way. Why am I not changing it? Because this is a world filled with magical ponies that move clouds and make stuff float.
537684 This is the first and probably last time I will ever declare this to anyone... But your avatar pic drives me to insanity. I'm stalking you now (well.... your Fimfic account at least) >.>.... (only on tuesday-thursday and every other saturday)
deathwinds.com/hosted/nicky/diplomotiv.jpg
730693
i.qkme.me/3554v3.jpg
Damn Cirton you took your time with this...
When I saw the photo: "SUNSET!
"
"
When I read the title"oh
can anyone please explane what anime cirotons avatare is from. anyway yay update now to wate for the next one
. tho is twilight really planning on going to the sorel hells cause i dont think that twi and her friends'll be able to handle the nightmare. unless ofcourse twi absorbs him then she'll have three personality's within her.
i bet rainbow dash is taking her time laughing at twi also i think twi is actually going to merg with her inner deity after a bit.
731088
Kisuke Urahara. Only the most bad-ass motherf
er in the anime 'Bleach'
731191 alright got it thanks for the info.
731191
It's good to know that someone watches 'Bleach' as well
question; how exactly did twi take the form of eos? first i just thought "illusion!", but then you wrote that she lied to rarity about "having used a couple of illusions learnt from trixie." the only other thing i can think is that she really did take on her alicorn appearance. only give me a definite answer if that was something i was supposed to get though; if the explanation comes up later i wanna read about it myself!
731191>>731535
im just sad the anime is over, i just can't bring myself to start reading the manga
732977
Eos is part of Twilight so I'm guessing that Twilight's Eos allowed Twi to become Eos... Literally!
733014
.
that was one of my thoughts as you can see, although i like to believe that Eos only really has a say in the matter as long as they are "separated" in their mind. i would like to be certain though, so unless you're sure about that i would like to hear from either ciro or someone that is certain
although, this also bring me another question i've been wondering about, is twilight stronger when in Eos form or is she basically the same all the time? maybe she can only "touch" the moon/sun when in alicorn form?
733107
Eos form is indeed stronger and the illusion thing was a lie to Rarity.
733232
okay, thx for the answer, i guess it was a little of a stupid question from my part now in hindsight, she said it wasn't an illusion herself, and if it's not an illusion it's real. should have gotten that...
730766
Richard always has the best ideas, and the best war cry. dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/Twilight_Sparkle_lolface.png
733386 don't I know it. frakkin love that guy =3
711383
Princess Molestia? Take Octavia's anus dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/misc_Octavia_plot.png , not mine. dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/misc_Octavia_O_O.png
733493
It's actually how I came up with this name, years ago, before I knew I would be addicted to a colorful little show. dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/sillyfilly_Derpy_Hooves.png
733555 lol, now that you mention it I get the pun! (I'm so dense sometimes
-)
also, leave Octavia's flank out of Mollestia's hooves Pls. I happen to like OctaVinyle =3
Aha! So begins my journey through the 'new' chapters!
Having stopped reading when these were first brought over to fimfiction, the suspense has been painful
With the story complete I can finally read the day away
"He bent down and pressed his muzzle against her face, sending shivers down her spine as the deathly-cold touch of his tongue against her cheek raced over her body and made her hairs stand on end."
I can one day only hope to make a villain half as creepy as Nightmare...
733232
Here is a question for you. Aside from the messed up Cutie Mark, how much does Queen Eos look like a naturally formed Twilight Eos? For that matter, how different does Twilight look in her full Alicorn mode? Is there anything she can do so her Alicorn mode doesn't look like the mad Queen?
...and yeah, I am beginning to have my doubts on whom the Queen's inner voice actually is.