Demons Are Forever

by Metool Bard

Reaching a Compromise

Sweetie Drops darted through the halls of the library at full gallop, weaving around bookcase after bookcase as she rushed towards the first floor. In a matter of moments, she reached a door leading to the main foyer. She was about to burst through when she heard a pair of voices on the other side.

"And that's what happened. I do hope you understand, Fancy Pants."

"Mmm. It is a bit of a predicament. I'll have to discuss this behavior with her later."

Sweetie Drops swallowed a huge lump in her throat as she pressed her ear against the door. Nihilmodo was already talking to White Lie. She only hoped that White Lie was smart enough to see through whatever false story the archdrone conjured up.

"Rest assured, she will be taken care of," said Nihilmodo. "In the meantime, please continue to make yourself at home. Oh, and you'll be happy to know that the fourth floor has just finished being renovated, so you now have free run of the library. Lucky you, eh?"

"I suppose so," said White Lie. "I suddenly feel a bit peckish. Would you happen to have any, sweets?"

"I'll go speak to my chefs and have them bring you something. Back in a mo."

There was a clip-clop of hooves followed by the slamming of a door. As soon as Sweetie Drops felt the cost was clear, she made her way into the foyer. There stood White Lie, still wearing his Fancy Pants disguise.

"White Lie, we've got trouble," she said breathlessly.

White Lie's brow furrowed. "I know. I heard your broadcast." It then sighed. "Queen Chrysalis must truly be mad if she thought promoting a pretentious blowhard like Nihilmodo to archdrone was a good idea."

"Wait, you know this Nihilmodo guy?"

"Unfortunately," said White Lie dismally. "It actually manages to make Queen Chrysalis look sane by comparison, though that's not saying much. I'm actually surprised it hasn't left the hive yet out of frustration with not having its 'genius' recognized."

"Well apparently, that's what this entire plot to steal the Lesser Key and decimate the HUB is all about," Sweetie Drops mused. "Not to mention its soldiers managed to capture Lady de Lis."

"See, that puzzles me a bit," said White Lie, tapping its chin. "Lady de Lis has always been cautious to a fault when it comes to changelings, especially around me. How did they manage to get the drop on her so easily?"

"No idea," said Sweetie Drops, tapping her earpiece radio. "Dr. Colgate, do you know what happened?"

"If I did, I would've told you by now," said Dr. Colgate. "Trust me, this is just as much of a surprise to me as it is to you guys."

"Even with the time stream?"

"We've been over this, Sweetie Drops. My special talent is space-time manipulation, not precognition. Those are two entirely different things."

"Right. Sorry," said Sweetie Drops.

"S'aright. I'm still looking into that trap Nihilmodo mentioned. I'll let you know once I figure it out."

"Given Lady de Lis's situation, we don't have time to wait around for that," said White Lie grimly. "I'll go rescue her. Ms. Drops, I suggest you check out the fourth floor."

Sweetie Drops arched an eyebrow. "The fourth floor? But, that's not where the Lesser Key is. I found it in a secret room on the second floor. It's being read by this changeling named Snatcher."

"Read? Oh dear," White Lie muttered. "Dr. Colgate, didn't you mention that Scorpan explicitly forbade anyone from reading that book?"

"Sure did," said Dr. Colgate. "Potentially, we could use that to our advantage. If the Ars Goetia persuade Snatcher into betraying the hive, they might not be able to spring this trap on us."

"That sounds like a bit of a long shot, Dr. Colgate."

"Hey, sometimes the underdog wins. You gotta be prepared for that."

"Hmm. Wise words," said White Lie. "Well, I think we know what to do from here. Ms. Drops, you go after the Lesser Key. I'll rescue Lady de Lis."

"Are you sure you want to do that, White Lie?" asked Sweetie Drops.

White Lie smirked. "What better way to prove myself to my biggest critic than saving her life?"

"Well, if you think that'll work, I guess I can't stop you," said Sweetie Drops with a shrug. "Um, just one question though."

"Yes?"

"Why did you want me to check out the fourth floor?"

White Lie tilted its head. "Isn't that where Dr. Colgate said we should be heading?"

"Yes, but we know now that it's not where the Lesser Key is located."

"Well, I didn't know that before you brought it up. I merely assumed that you were on the fourth floor when you made that broadcast."

"I, guess that's reasonable," said Sweetie Drops, rubbing the back of her head. "But I also caught the last of your conversation with Nihilmodo. It said that the fourth floor was no longer off-limits. Doesn't that sound like a trap to you?"

White Lie pursed its lips and knitted its brow. "Hmm. Point to you, Ms. Drops. Best to avoid that area, then. We wouldn't want Nihilmodo gaining the upper hoof."

Sweetie Drops couldn't help but notice White Lie trembling slightly as it spoke. "Um, are you okay?"

"I-it's probably just hunger pains," White Lie murmured, shuffling its hooves nervously. "It might not be a good idea to save Lady de Lis as Fancy Pants."

It quickly shifted out of its disguise, although its face still remained pale. Sweetie Drops gave White Lie a wry smirk.

"Tell you what," she said. "After this is over, I'll whip up some of the best chocolates you've ever eaten to celebrate. Heck, if you manage to convince Lady de Lis to like you, I'll make it a double batch. How's that sound?"

White Lie's good eye sparkled as it smacked its lips. "That sounds simply divine, Ms. Drops. Thank you for your consideration." In a flash, its face grew serious. "Right, let's get moving. We've dallied long enough."

Without another word, White Lie galloped off. Sweetie Drops nodded and tapped her radio, shifting it over to a private frequency.

"Out of curiosity, how many possible scenarios for the trap feature White Lie?" she inquired.

"You're going to have to be more specific," said Dr. Colgate. "Since the trap is meant for the HUB and White Lie is part of the HUB, logic dictates that it's going to be involved in this trap one way or another. Why? You think something's up with White Lie?"

"I don't know," Sweetie Drops whispered darkly. "I just think there's something we're not seeing here."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Dr. Colgate said sardonically. "Like I said before, I'll let you know once I find out what that something is. You just focus on getting the Lesser Key before that Snatcher guy finds a way to free the Ars Goetia. If that happens, Equestria will be in quite a pickle."

"Understood," said Sweetie Drops. "Oh, and don't tell White Lie I asked this, okay? I don't want it to get the wrong idea."

"Not sure if that's a good idea, but I see where you're coming from," Dr. Colgate mused. "I'll respect your request for now, but I'm afraid I can't make any promises. It all depends on how this plays out."

Sweetie Drops breathed out a small snicker. "That's just like you, Dr. Colgate. Always thinking about the future."

"Well, somepony has to," said Dr. Colgate with a giggle of her own. "Now get to work, Sweetie Drops. Time waits for nopony, not even me."

"Roger that," said Sweetie Drops. She tapped her radio off and made her way back up the stairs.

***

After navigating through the library and avoiding detection once again, Sweetie Drops reentered the same secret passage she stumbled across before. She peered down from the balcony, hoping to see Snatcher engrossed in its book. Much to her surprise, the room downstairs was entirely empty.

"That's not good," she muttered bitterly. She hooked her grappling hook to the lip of the balcony and rappelled herself down to the secret room. Once she touched down, she retrieved her hook and took a quick look around. Despite the noises she made, no guards came running. The door on the far right was slightly ajar, while the one on the opposite end was closed tight.

"It's quiet. Too quiet," she mused. "Dr. Colgate, it looks like our friend Snatcher was yearning for a better reading location. I'm in pursuit."

"Copy that. Oh, and you might be right about the fourth floor," said Dr. Colgate sternly. "According to my calculations, there's something pretty nasty up there. Avoid that area if you can."

"Shouldn't be too much of a problem," said Sweetie Drops. "Thanks for the heads-up, though."

"It's what I do. I'll keep you apprised on anything else I find."

Sweetie Drops nodded and shuffled over to the partially open door. She then opened it all the way and peeked inside. Beyond it was a staircase with no lighting to speak of. Sweetie Drops scoffed.

"Yeah. That's not ominous or anything," she grumbled sarcastically. "Alright, let's do this."

She wasted no time venturing up the stairs. With every step she took, she became acutely aware of the light behind her growing fainter and fainter. She was about halfway up when the slam of a door echoed throughout the stairwell, plunging the entire hallway into darkness. A sharp chill went up Sweetie Drops's spine. She could hear the faint sound of insect wings below her. Biting her lip, she quickened her pace. Her heart pounded something fierce. Every hair on her body stood up on end. She was only vaguely aware of how many stairs she climbed, or even that there was a turn in the stairwell. All the while, the buzzing of wings echoed behind her at the same rate, never getting closer. While this alleviated some of her anxiety, she did not slow down.

Eventually, she found a small glimmer of light at the top of the staircase. In a burst of adrenaline, she ran up the stairs and barreled through the door. She found herself in what appeared to be an empty attic with a door leading outside. Before venturing forward, she turned her attention back down the dark staircase. The buzzing was still audible. With a snort, she unfurled her crossbow and loaded a sleep bolt.

"I know you're down there," she said, pointing her crossbow into the darkness. "Come on out and show yourself."

There was no reply. Only a constant buzzing sound, getting louder and louder. Sweetie Drops slowed her breathing and narrowed her eyes, waiting for a good shot. Suddenly, she heard the creek of a door behind her, and a sudden gust of cold air swept across her backside. Before she could turn around, a flash of green erupted from the darkness. Something hit her in her right temple, forcing her to the ground. She tried to recover, but she found herself gripped by sudden fatigue. The entire room felt like it was spinning. Through her blurred vision, she saw two changeling silhouettes standing over her, their horns pulsing with magic.

"Sweetie Drops, is that you? I thought I heard something over your radio. What's going on? Sweetie Drops, please respond! Sweetie Drops! SWEETIE DROPS~!"

Dr. Colgate's frantic screams were the last sounds Sweetie Drops heard before she blacked out entirely.

Comments

[bahatumay]

I know that reference…