Avatar: The Last Alicorn. Book 4: Alicorn

by Jeweled Pen

Chapter 27: We'll make it special

Twilight let out a shriek as she toppled backwards, crashing into the wall. “Owwww...”

“Way to stick the landing,” Spike said with a chuckle.

Rainbow snorted and gave him a hoof bump. “You have wings now, you'd think you'd have practiced a bit more.

“SPIKEY!” Pinkie squealed with delight before giving him a hug. “Fluttershy!” She was next. One by one the pink mare went through her friends, giving them each a very tight and very loving hug. “You're all okay and here and real and I'm not crazy I knew all this was real hah!”

“What's she goin' on about?” Applejack asked, cocking an eye.

“Let's just say... her world was a bit weirder than I thought it would be,” Twilight muttered. “I was a toy.”

“That doesn't sound so bad,” Spike said with a shrug.

“I kind of tossed her into the waste basket,” Pinkie said with a small chuckle. “But she was okay, she popped up in the coloring books and TV.”

“She also got blown into stuff, was hilarious,” Rainbow said with a chuckle.

“TV?” Spike asked.

Twilight opened her mouth to speak, before frowning. “I... don't know. Some kind of magic thing. It was very useful, though. I think her element kept helping us appear in all kinds of different places.” She paused. “Wait. Errr, when we released her, how big of an explosion did it make?”

“Tower of light an' everything,” Applejack said.

“Right. Get us out of here then?” the alicorn said quickly.

The earth pony nodded and tapped the ground. It swallowed them a second later before the wall blocking them from sight crumbled.

------

“So there I am, thinking I'm completely nuts, then it finally just hits me,” Pinkie said with a giggle before giving Rainbow a nuzzle. “Laughter has to be important. Just look at what happens when you don't have it. And if it's one of the elements, well, all the other things I was told had to be lies too.”

Twilight nodded. “I'm happy you were able to get out of it,” she said with a sigh. “I was starting to worry. I've never been a toy before. All plastic and... well, it was a strange experience.” She frowned and looked down. “I couldn't talk to your element that time, though. It just didn't... well... before I was able to interact with it a bit. I could feel it helping us, directing us where we could touch things. But I couldn't see or really... feel it. But this time it was as if it wasn't there until you called it out. I think it's getting weaker.”

Pinkie shrugged. “It was there all the time, I just didn't realize it. But... I think it's because how I see things. All that stuff I knew didn't really make sense unless I knew who I was, you know? So for a little bit it made sense that I might be crazy. But once I realized that, well... ummmm...”

“You were just being Pinkie?” Rainbow offered.

“Yeah! Once I realized that and I understood that it was all fake, I knew where my element was. Just sitting there right out in the open. Now it feels so silly that I didn't realize sooner.” She gave a little giggle. “Right under my nose the whole time and I never saw it.”

“I think that's how he operates. Hiding stuff from us,” Twilight muttered. “But, I think your element was there, still trying to help. I'm pretty sure that was it, guiding us. I just couldn't see it. Were there any weird times? When things just didn't add up?”

Pinkie frowned and gave a nod. “Well... I think so. My mind just kept wandering sometimes but then I'd just forget what I was thinking about because I got distracted or something it was kind of like when you're trying to find something but then something sparkly and shiny comes up and you're like 'ohhhhh, I need this' then you buy it and you get home and remember you were supposed to buy some milk and lettuce and completely forgot.”

Twilight nodded slowly. “Err... right.” She looked up. The group was hidden underground, protected by Applejack's sand bending. “How are you holding up? Having any trouble keeping the walls up?”

“We'll wanna go up soon,” the mare said. “Air is gonna run low. Ah made this pretty big as holes go, but your lightin' it with fire ain't helpin'.”

Twilight nodded sheepishly. “Sorry. Well, let's go up. I'm sure Discord's magic has worn off by now.”

Applejack nodded and tapped the ground. They were suddenly rocketed back up into the outer world. Even though it was still bright, sunny and hot, it was still a lot cooler than the hole they'd been hiding in. Twilight held her breath and looked around the alley, but nopony came out to stop them or try to attack. She smiled and motioned towards the exit, pulling her cloak over herself. “Okay, now we just need to find the girls and get out of here.”

“Probably hidin' underground somewhere,” Applejack muttered as they started trotting, reaching out with her bending with every step. “Mah sister's a smart cookie, she'd make sure tah get them all out where they can't follow.”

“Of course,” Twilight said with a nod. “They're probably outside the city. We'll head there first.”

The group slowly made their way through the city streets, keeping an eye out for trouble as they went. The place had changed drastically. Ponies who were once angry and yelling all the time were now calm and friendly. They passed the muffin stand where one of the customers were now apologizing profusely, begging for forgiveness after their cruelty. “At least we know his magic has worn off.”

Pinkie frowned as she looked around. “Sooooo. I've been away a lot, filler? Not yet, though. Explain everything once we're out of the city. We're going to brush over the travel time anyway, so we might as well fill me in then. But I wanna know where we're going next.”

“… Of course,” Twilight said with a confused shrug towards her friends. “We're heading south, towards the Water Nation again. If Blueblood was correct, Rarity is being held in the south pole in the home of the Shadowbolts. We'll need to find a way to get there.”

“Ohhhhh, are we going to steal a ship? We can go sailing!” Pinkie said with a giggle.

“Maybe,” Twilight muttered. “We might have to steal a captain or something else, too. There's no telling how hard it will be to even find this fortress. It could be anywhere and none of us have been there. A hundred years ago the south pole was a cold, desolate wasteland, held by the Water Nation on the basis that they were closest. I doubt it's become any more hospitable in the last hundred years. The Shadowbolts won't be happy to see us, either. We'll need help getting in.”

“Assuming she's even there,” Rainbow grumbled.

“What?”

“Well, you said it's Blueblood, right? It's not as if he's our number one fan. For all we know, Discord got to him and--” Her next words were drowned out by a loud horn. “That… can't be good.”

“No, no it can't,” Twilight mumbled before turning towards the city center. “I… think it came from that way. Maybe we should--”

“Yah better say go check what it is, in case somethin' has happened tah mah little sister,” Applejack said angrily.

The alicorn nodded. “R-right, exactly. We're going to go find out what's going on. Err, come on, girls.” She started walking out through the city, trying to keep her head low and avoid attention from any passersby. The others followed closely behind her, looking out warily as the crowds started making their way towards the sound, many looking nervous. Not that they could blame them. Whatever the horn was signaling, it was likely from the Water Nation. Twilight just hoped it was the news that Trixie had fallen or had her horn shattered or any number of wonderful things.

Those hopes quickly died when they came to the city center and Trixie, Nightmare Moon and Solar Flare were all standing on a raised platform. Sweetie, Flowerbloom, Scootaloo and Blueblood were before them, all in stocks. “O-oh no...” Twilight whispered as she and her friends moved into position to see what was going on. They waited a few more minutes before Trixie was finally satisfied.

“Avatar, you coward!” Trixie's voice rang out. Her next words were drowned out by the booing of the crowd. That at least brought a smile to Twilight's face, but it was quickly drowned out by an explosion of fire from above. “Do you wish to return to the dehorning? I am not above such acts to disloyal subjects!” she warned. The crowd fell silent. “Good. AVATAR! I assume you're out there, if you haven't fled from the city like a true coward, with your tail between your legs!”

Twilight didn't say a word, she just watched, a hoof reaching out to grip Applejack. She wasn't surprised to find other hooves wrapping around the tense mare.

“I've decided to make you an offer!” The other, dark alicorn glanced towards the ponies trapped. “Surrender yourself and I will allow your friends to go. I will not harm them in any way and will allow them to live long, peaceful lives.” She paused for a moment for effect. “If you refuse, I won't kill them. I will do far, far worse.”

Applejack tensed, though her friends held her back. “It's a trap,” Twilight said quickly, though she couldn't look away. “Nightmare Moon and Solar Flare have taken us down every time we've fought them, even just one at a time. The most we've managed to do is delay them. If we go down there, we'll be captured. Discord will win.”

“There's a lot of other soldiers keeping an eye out, too,” Pinkie said quickly, pointing towards the buildings. “If we go, Twilight will be captured for sure.”

Applejack didn't respond, her entire body tense as a spring.

“I'll start with the stallion! Remember Twilight, only you can stop this!” Trixie yelled before turning towards the trapped de-horned pony. The amulet around her neck began to glow, as did her horn. Dark purple magic flowed around her before enveloping Blueblood.

The stallion screamed as the fel magic entered him, coursing through his body and along his coat, corrupting everything about him. Twilight could do nothing but watch as the magic enveloped him. Listen to his screams as the crowd watched in silence. Then it was over and the magic disappeared. The alicorn removed the binds from the stallion and let him free from the stocks. He stared for a few moments, before bowing to her.

Sweetie let out a little shriek as Trixie turned to her next. “Twilight!” the unicorn screamed out.

Twilight barely managed to stop from charging the stage. She couldn't save them, she knew that. No matter how badly she wanted to. But she couldn't look away. She owed them more than that.

“Yes, call out to her! Scream for help!” Trixie said, letting out another one of her laughs. “Oh hoh hoh hoh hoh!”

Sweetie whimpered, before calling out again. “Leave, escape! Don't worry about us, defeating Discord is what's important! We knew that--” She was silenced by Trixie covering her lips with ice, but it was too late.

“If you're seein' this, run!” Flowerbloom yelled. “Find the last element! Save the world! We knew what we were gettin' inta! Mrrf!” She was silenced as well. Scootaloo was about to yell as well, but her mouth was quickly covered.

“ENOUGH!” the dark alicorn yelled. “Very well, if you wish to have your minds shattered so badly, I will be more than willing to help!” Her horn glowed with the dark purple light again. She ungagged Sweetie just before applying the spell.

Twilight watched helplessly as, one by one, her friends were turned against her, corrupted by that fel magic. She and the others only barely managed to hold Applejack back when it was Flowerbloom's turn, the earth bender dragging them a few feet. As the final one was turned, they dragged themselves out of the crowd and down a nearby alley, once again disappearing under the ground.

Only when they were safely away, did they uncover Applejack's mouth. There were no screams or yells, however. There were only sobs from the earth bender. “It... it ain't fair. A-ah only... ah only j-jus' got mah lil sister back... she jus'... she jus'...”

Pinkie gave the mare a hug. “We'll get her back. Trixie didn't kill her, just brain washed her! We can fix that!” the bubbly mare said happily. “I mean, sure, now we'll be running from all of them, but once we get Rarity back, we'll save everypony at once, right? You'll get your sister back and can go back home to live on the farm.”

“Pinkie's right,” Twilight mumbled, though her heart wasn't in it. She'd gotten four of her friends back, just to lose her new ones. Why did it feel like every step they took forward, something else came up to push them back? She could still hear the screams echoing in her mind. It had to be temporary. They had to be able to fix it. She reached a hoof up to rub where her element had been, the cracked jewel flashing into her mind.

They were going to win, weren't they?

------

Discord stood in front of a long, cloth cover. “What? Oh, you'll just have to wait to see what I have planned. Don't worry, it'll be happening very, very soon.” Snap.

Comments

[eric-emanwu]

Ah horseapples! (you said it.)

Pinkie did indeed get out smoothly. And happily held her friends close. And even was told about their success in figuring out where rarity was. However, it seems that for all their hoping and their planning and their straining, operation cutie's finest hour was successful in one count, but in this case, success came with a price. A very avataresque trade in this case. That while pinkie did escape, they all had to stand and watch trixie corrupt their entire guest party like it was nothing. Turning their steadfast allies into enemies once again.

Yuck. But, to be fair, the 4 knew what they were getting into. Knew this was their goodbye and I love you moment, At least trixie didn't kill them. That's good, because this still gives them space to be saved again. But, now they can't risk any encounters with the villain train anymore. There's simply too many, and they need the last element to have them taste the rainbow. I guess they're running from now on. Oh, but discord has something covered up. And it seems he's prepared to bring whatever his secret plan was into action. "Very soon". Which roughly translates to "within 8 chapters" If I speak book fluently.