Awakening
Chapter 7: Awakening
Morning Star stood at the the railing, looking down at his creation. At the door behind him, he could hear the Guards hammering away, demanding access and surrender. He could sense the force of Celestia's final blow as it overpowered the condenser orbs he had forged to hold the concentrated power of the artilleryheads, feel the orbs crack and crumble beneath her might. She must have been striking with the sun itself, he mused, She doesn't like to do that very often.
However, right now, Morning's ears were focused upon the clicking and grinding noises issued from below. His eyes were concerned with watching the array as it went into motion, gears turning, levers pushing and pulling, pistons pounding, the entire structure shifting and morphing as its formation changed with each passing second, seeming to enfold upon itself before unfolding into a different configuration, twisting and changing in ways that seemed to almost warp the space around it.
A mare's cry of pain echoed out from below. One of the workers had been a bit too slow in getting off her scaffold and had been sent plummeting as the mechanism's motions toppled it. A few others had fallen, but none so hard. She'd probably broken a leg or something else. It didn't matter to Morning either way. For he had won.
Celestia could feel the device's protective shield give way beneath her onslaught. However, she could also sense the fact that she had failed. She felt it. In fact, she was sure that there wasn't a pony in Equestria who didn't feel it, even if they weren't aware of it. It felt like a faint shiver of...offness was the only word she could think of the describe it...had settled over her, infolding her body and wrapping around it like a sheet of plastic wrap. Then, as quickly as it had come, it had gone. Celestia couldn't sense the feeling anymore, but it was enough to know she had been too slow.
Below her, as the smoke cleared for a second time from the even deeper crater, she could see the device, completely unscathed by her attack, clicking and shuddering as it ran its course. Just looking at it made her body shiver. It looked so wrong, so completely beyond the laws of the world that she knew. The device hung, suspended in the air, completely unsupported, yet she could tell that no force on earth would budge it from its current position.
Sagging in defeat, Celestia descended towards the ground, her heart heavy as she pondered what to do from here. Morning Star's array was up and running. He had succeeded, met his goals and...
Celestia froze as a realization struck her. She knew what the array must have been designed to do, it had been Morning's ultimate ambition after all. However...Where is the rift? The last time she'd dealt with a rift in the fabric of reality, she had felt the sensation of wrongness so strongly that she knew she could be halfway across the world and still sense it. And yet, that sensation was nowhere to be found. That strange, off sensation she'd felt when the device had first activated had lasted less than a second. There was no sign of that sensation now.
That left three possibilities for what had happened. The first was that Morning's plan had simply failed. His machines had activated, but failed to produce the expected rift. That seemed unlikely to Celestia, as Morning Star had always been thorough and meticulous in planning out his designs. Even if it hadn't gone the way he'd wanted, there still have been some substantial effect.
The second possibility was that Morning had completely succeeded. His array had been able to produce a stable portal, opened through the fabric of reality itself. If a portal was contained, then the energies it released might be contained as well. Celestia wasn't certain that she could sense a rift if it was both stable and contained. If that was the case, then it would be likely that Morning Star might not be a problem for much longer as he would almost certainly try to use the portal as soon as possible. What was on the other side of such an opening, whether a pony could survive there, much less return from it, were completely unknown. Even Morning himself had only the purest of pure speculation as to whether or not what he sought was there or if it was how he imagined it. Celestia supposed it was a possibility. If it was the case, she'd probably be able to find out soon enough.
The third possibility, the one that Celestia found to be the most likely, was that Morning's work was not yet completed. Yes, his array and its five component devices were up and running. But she imagined that it was merely a preliminary step. That sensation that had emerged at the moment of activation struck Celestia as the laying of some kind of groundwork, something that Morning would build upon to then produce the effect that he sought.
So he has five foci set up around Equestria. She tried to think of what Morning's next step would be once he completed those foci. Five foci...Wait! Five!
Celestia turned to the commander of the Guard detachment that had accompanied her out. "Bring me a map, immediately!"
The ponies of the Royal Guard scrambled to obey her. Seeing her unleash the full power of the sun not once, but twice, had left them in no mind to balk at her commands. A map was quickly produced and laid out on the dirt at her hooves. Celestia stared down at it, her horn lighting and her magic washing over the map. A few seconds later, the image on paper was replaced by a view of the real Equestria, as though they were miles above it and looking down.
A mark appeared over the location of Appleloosa. Celestia created a similar mark at each of the other temple locations. Once that was done, she connected them all together in a circle. I was right, she thought. The locations of the temples formed a perfect circle between them. She remembered a similar design once. Starswirl the Bearded had once proposed using the Elements of Harmony as components of a powerful array that would cover Equestria's borders in a sheath of protective energy that would see off all who would do the nation harm. Starswirl's plan had fallen through, due to the issues of cost and the fact that the Elements were not designed to function in such a manner. But Morning Star had apparently latched onto the concept of a nation-wide array for his own project.
Equestria's borders had changed somewhat in the years since Starswirl's time. However, the circle of Morning's array still had the same center. Canterlot! There must be some final step in his preparations and it will be taking place there.
"I am heading back to Canterlot," said Celestia, rolling up the map and turning to her Guards, "Take every member of the Cult Solar into custody and bring them back for trial."
The Guard, still looking very unnerved and shaken, saluted and turned to begin relaying her orders. Celestia spread her wings and took to the sky, completely unaccompanied as she began making her way back to the capital and the problems awaiting her there. If there is time until Morning fully activates the array and attempts to open a way beyond the world, then recovering the Elements of Harmony and Twilight are our highest priorities.
The temple doors were practically blasted of their hinges as a pair of unicorns in gold armor burst through, followed by several pegasi and earth ponies. "By order of Princess Celestia, everypony here is under arrest!" declared the lead unicorn. Pegasi were already descending like stooping griffons on the workers at the bottom of the chamber, many of whom were staring up in confusion.
A few of the ponies who were quickly restrained protested their innocence and declared their oppressors to be agents of Nightmare Moon. However, more of them were staring blankly at the empty balcony not far from where the Guards had entered. Only seconds before, the balcony had not been empty, but instead occupied by their leader, the Supreme Pontiff of the Cult Solar...who had just crumbled to dust before their very eyes.
"Hurk!" Spike's stomach swelled explosively and he launched out another burst of flame that transformed into a scroll. "Let's see..." he said, his eyes quickly scanning the contents, "This one is from the task force outside of Fillydelphia for Shining in Can-mmph!" His cheeks bulged again and Spike had to quickly hold the scroll aside to spit out another fireball-turned-letter that fell to the table. He received three other ones in rapid succession before he finally had enough of a lull to start sending them out again.
"Are ya sure yer gonna be okay, sugarcube?" asked Apple Bloom, standing slightly behind Spike.
Not daring to turn all the way around, lest he be on the receiving end of another incendiary missive while she was in front of him, Spike, gave her a weak grin. "I'll be fine." The faint rasp in his voice suggested otherwise, but Spike wasn't about to be dissuaded. Serving as the nexus for the Royal Guard task forces' communications was a big responsibility. Thanks to Spike, even though Celestia's various task forces were scattered across the entire country, they were never more than a few minutes away from communicating with each other, so long as Spike didn't send a letter the wrong way. Fortunately, Celestia had gone though the effort of acquainting Spike with all the task force commanders so that he would know who to send what letters to.
"This is all well and good," said Rarity, fidgeting on the other side of the table, out of range of Spike's flames, "But I am a bitt worried that we should be more concerned with Twilight's situation right now. She could be anywhere."
"Shining said he was on it," said Spike, "We wouldn't know where in Canterlot to look. Just about any of those jerks could have been the ones to take Twilight."
"But why would they take the Elements too?" asked Fluttershy nervously.
On that note, Spike shrugged. "I've got no clue," he admitted, "I guess they figure the Elements are powerful artifacts or something like that."
"It makes sense," said Applejack, "Twilight was tellin' me how most 'o them nobles think the whole thing about the Elements 'o Harmony bein' all 'bout harmony is a load 'o hogwash. She said they all think the Elements are some powerful magic doohickeys and nothin' more."
"Powerful 'doohickeys' that can banish an alicorn to the moon for a thousand years, restore her sanity when she comes back, and seal a chaos god in stone," commented Rarity dubiously, "I suppose that would be power enough to make them attractive to the members of the Noble Court, regardless of how much stock they put in the particulars of what the Elements are supposed to stand for."
The library doors opened and Sweetie Belle came in alongside Dawn. "We're here," declared Sweetie, stepping up to the table, "Did we miss anything?"
Bloom leaned over and clamped her teeth around Sweetie's tail, tugging her back away from the table...right as Spike belched out another letter. "Ah wouldn't go sittin' next to 'im," she said as Sweetie took a couple more nervous steps back.
"Are you going to be all right?" asked Dawn, looking carefully at Spike.
"I'll be fine," said Spike, his voice having grown slightly more hoarse in spite of his assurances, "But I'll be glad when this thing is over."
"Yeah," said Sweetie, looking around, "Where's Rumble?"
"Rumble?" asked Bloom, turning to stare at her friend and fellow Crusader, "Wasn't he with you?"
Sweetie blinked and stared at Bloom. "No. He told me he was going to check on how things were going out here."
Bloom frowned, looking around in confusion. Though the night following Twilight's foalnapping was fraught with worry, the adults had wanted to send the foals right back to school the next day. Dawn, Rumble, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo had agreed readily enough. However, Bloom had decided to stay behind and act as moral support for Spike, which was about all she could do for him, save for rub his back and massage his wings occasionally as he spit out letter after letter and sent each one back off again.
"I had the same question about Scootaloo," said Dawn, also looking around.
"Wait...what are y'all talkin' 'bout?" demanded Bloom, "Ah thought they went to school with ya."
"They did," said Dawn, "But Scootaloo and Rumble both said that they wanted to go see if there was anything they could do to help out at the library. We agreed to go to school and take notes for them. But..."
"Wait a second," said Sweetie, "Where's Arkenstone?"
Rarity waved a hoof from the other side of the table. "I'm sorry to say that the poor dear heard that Shining might have acquired a lead and left to take the train to Canterlot."
In spite of his earlier words urging patience, Arkenstone had ultimately decided that he couldn't sit idle and wait to see if Shining's investigation panned out. He'd discouraged the rest of Twilight's friends from following him, explaining that it was best for him to work alone, in case his more...violent skills were required.
Dawn nodded. "I remembered hearing him talk about that when we left..." He froze. "Wait...you don't think..."
Rarity's hoof dropped to the table and, almost impossibly, her pristine white coat got a shade paler. "No...You couldn't be suggesting..."
"Um...suggesting what?" asked Fluttershy, looking around as the look horrified comprehension began to spread from pony to pony in the room. A few seconds later, she caught on as well. "Oh dear..."
Arkenstone rubbed his forehead, frowning pensively. "I know I was saying that I wasn't in the best of shape. However that was not an open invitation or request for assistance." He regarded the two ponies seated on the other side of the train compartment sullenly.
Scootaloo glared back at him, stubbornness etched into her very posture. "Just because you don't say you need help doesn't mean you don't need it," she replied, folding her arms.
"Um..." Rumble looked nervously back and forth between Scootaloo and Arkenstone.
"Look!" snapped Scootaloo, "We're not here because we think this is going to be fun or so that Rumble can get his cutie mark. We're here because we know you're in pretty bad shape. Whatever you might say, you could use help and, right now, we're the only ponies who can give it."
Rumble leaned over and gently elbowed Scootaloo in the ribs. "What about those griffons?"
"They're Fluttershy's bodyguards," said Scootaloo with a roll of her eyes, "They're not going anywhere she's not."
"Okay..." said Rumble, turning back to face Arkenstone, who didn't look any happier, despite Scootaloo's assurances.
"Really...after that fight you had with Dawn, I thought you'd know better than this," scolded Arkenstone.
Scootaloo blushed fiercely and redoubled her glare. "This isn't the same thing. I wanted to come because Twilight needs help. You're pretty strong, but you're hurt. You need somepony to watch your back."
"And you...?" Arkenstone's ears swiveled towards Rumble.
"Um...I agree with her," said Rumble, his tone a little half-hearted, "I mean...I'm a little bit more unsure about this. But I do think you need some kind of help and we're the only ponies in a position to do something." He sighed and sagged. "Storm Front sure isn't...or ever will be again."
For a long moment, Arkenstone was silent as he regarded the two foals across the compartment from him. Then, without saying a word, he got up, opened the door, and left, sliding it shut behind him. Scootaloo and Rumble stared at the door for a moment before looking around the compartment, trying their hardest not to meet each other's gazes, stewing in the awkward silence left in the vacuum of Arkenstone's presence.
"So..." said Rumble, finally, "It's been a while since we were alone together."
"Yeah," said Scootaloo, a little flatly.
"Um...how are things going with Dawn?"
Scootaloo fidgeted and looked down. "They're going all right. He's been feeling a bit better lately. Being without his magic is still pretty hard on him though."
"I guess," said Rumble.
"What about you? How are you and Sweetie Belle doing?"
"Um...We're fine. Sweetie decided to apply to the Academy of Arts and Sciences. I hear that's going pretty well." Rumble idly began to inspect the cord that was wrapped around his right foreleg. This wasn't his usual practice weapon, a length of knotted cord. This was Storm Front's actual meteor hammer, with the heavy steel weight on the end that was capable of caving in a pony's skull if swung hard enough. It was a powerful, deadly weapon, in spite of the simplicity of its design. Looking at it made a sense of trepidation well up in his stomach. Rumble wasn't sure that he should have brought this weapon. Storm probably wouldn't be happy when he returned. However, whatever they ended up against, Rumble was fairly sure that a simple knotted rope wouldn't cut it.
Scootaloo had turned to inspecting her feathers, making sure everything was in order. Preening was awkward with only one pony. She wished Dawn were here, he could usually make the process more enjoyable. Still, she had decided to come and that was that. She just hoped that Arkenstone would be back to the room with an affirmative and not some of the train's staff to make sure that they got sent back to Ponyville.
A few minutes later, Arkenstone came back in. Scootaloo and Rumble looked up, relieved to see that he was still alone. However, they both tensed when they saw what Arkenstone was carrying. The stallion turned to his seat and spat out a pair of coiled ropes onto the seat. "The conductor was kind enough to loan me these," he said, turning to face the foals.
"Um...what for?" asked Scootaloo.
"Leverage," answered Arkenstone, "You may come along. However, there are certain conditions you must abide by. I'm afraid there is no room for negotiation or hair-splitting. If you will not agree to my terms as they stand, in both the letter and spirit, then I will be using these ropes to securely restrain you so that you may be sent back on the next train to Ponyville."
"You're really gonna tie us up if we don't agree with you?" protested Scootaloo, flaring her wings.
She immediately regretted her tone and behavior when Arkenstone's eyes opened ever so slightly. The vibrations and sounds of the train seemed to fade into the distance, replaced by a low rumble that issued forth from Arkenstone himself. Even the lights of the compartment seemed to dim as those sightless slits of featureless white fixated on Scootaloo and pinned her in place.
"Yes," said Arkenstone, "That is exactly what I intend to do. I want you to look at me and ask yourself if there is anything that you could do anything to stop me."
Scootaloo swallowed and shrank back against her seat. Rumble had already scooted all the way over to the corner of the compartment and was shivering as he watched Arkenstone with wide eyes.
"Okay," said Scootaloo, as the power of Arkenstone's presence faded slightly, "We'll do it your way."
"Good," said Arkenstone, "That means you will do what I say when we get to Canterlot. If I tell you to do something, there will be no questions or protestations. You will do it. Failure to follow my instructions could mean no less than your lives, given what we are up against. Do you agree to these terms?"
Scootaloo swallowed, looking Arkenstone. She could tell by the set of his face that there would be no acceptance for any attempts to find loopholes in his orders or going behind his back. If she or Rumble tried anything like that, Arkenstone would have them trussed up and hauled back to Ponyville before they could blink. Finally, she took a deep breath. "Fine."
"And you?" asked Arkenstone, his ears turning towards Rumble.
"Yeah, I'll agree to that," said Rumble, feeling slightly relieved that was all Arkenstone was asking of them. He wasn't as sure as Scootaloo about this. After all, she'd been in real fights before, but he hadn't. The closest he had been to an actual fight was swinging his practice weapon at a stationary target.
"Very well then," said Arkenstone, letting out a resigned sigh, "What on earth am I thinking? Your families will have my head when we get back."
"Hey, if we come back with Twilight then everything'll be fine," said Scootaloo, her tone much more cheery now that she knew Arkenstone wasn't simply going to send them back.
"I pray I don't end up regretting this," muttered Arkenstone.
"Ugh..." Twilight Sparkle groaned and rolled over slightly. As she did, she felt something tug at her foreleg. That feeling alerted Twilight to something else...that she was feeling things. Her mind registered the feeling, along with the fact that it was able to register anything at all. She was finally beginning to wake up. How long have I been out and where am I? The last thing she remembered was Coco Pommel's apologetic expression as she fell to the floor and blackness claimed her.
She wasn't on the floor now, that much was for certain. She was in a bed...a very comfortable bed at that. Her body was practically sinking into the mattress, giving her the faint feeling that she was floating. It was easily as comfortable as the guest rooms in the Royal Palace. That feeling was reinforced by the sensation of high quality fabric sheets against her and the soft, airy pillow that supported her head...which felt strangely heavy.
Slowly peeling back her eyelids, Twilight blinked, looking up some sort of canopy over her head. Slowly rotating her head around gave her a view of the walls of fabric on all sides. The bed was large, queen-size at least. Attached to her right foreleg was an I.V. leading out through the fabric wall.
With a low groan, Twilight shifted to sit up a little and try to get her bearings. As she did, she reached out with her magic to draw back the canopy around her bed...or rather, she tried to reach out with her magic. However, it refused to leave her horn. Twilight had the sensation of her magic being sucked away into something and her horn grew slightly heavier. Her eyes widening, Twilight rolled them up to try and get a view of her horn. She saw something black around it.
Reaching up, Twilight felt the foreign object with her hooves to confirm that it was indeed an inhibitor ring, fitted snugly around her horn. With a huff, Twilight lowered her hooves, knowing there was nothing she could do to dislodge it. Inhibitor rings were designed so that they could only be removed by another pony, not by the pony the ring had been placed on. It would have been pretty useless as a restraint otherwise.
A rippling aura of brown washed across the curtains around Twilight's bed and drew them back, revealing the features of her prison. It was certainly pleasant, as such places went. The room was opulent, outfitted with all manner of decorations and embellishments. On one side, Twilight could see an elaborate chest of drawers with a large mirror hanging above it, adjacent to a walk-in closet. On another wall, she could see the entrance to a bathroom that was probably every bit as luxurious as the bedroom. Another wall was occupied by a massive, curtained window that would probably open up to a magnificent view once the curtains were pulled back. Set in front of the window was a fair-sized table with a couple of seats, arranged so that the ponies sitting there would be able to gaze out the window while they ate or did whatever else ponies did at a table in rooms like this one. The door leading out of the room was on the opposite side of the chest from the closet.
Twilight's mood soured when she saw who else was in the room and she realized exactly where she had been taken.
"Good evening, Dame Sparkle," said Baron Elderflower, looking at her with a polite smile, as though he had simply invited her over for tea and not orchestrated foalnapping her from Ponyville, "I'm glad to see that you are finally up."
There was another unicorn sitting next to him, apparently checking something over in a notebook. His horn flared and the I.V. pulled itself smoothly out of Twilight's arm. The unicorn then took the whole stand in his magic and began carrying it out of the room.
"You've been out since yesterday afternoon," said Elderflower, "My physician said it wouldn't be long enough to cause any real problems, but I'm glad we took precautions in any case. You are far too important to risk harming."
"How considerate of you," Twilight deadpanned. Her throat was feeling sandpaper dry, but she would be damned if she let that slow her down.
The Baron didn't rise to her barb. Instead, he levitated a glass of water to Twilight's lips, tipping it so that she could sip out of it. In spite of her desire to spit that water at his smug face, Twilight decided to gulp it down for now. She needed to recover first. Wiping that smug smile off of Elderflower's face could come later.
"There we go," said the Baron as she drained the glass. He levitated it back to the tray set up on the end table. "I apologize about using an inhibitor ring on you. However, I believe that you would likely do something rash and ill-advised if it wasn't there. I hope you'll understand that I feel the need to leave it on for a little while yet."
"Of course," said Twilight, glowering at him, "And here I thought that you were at least somewhat sensible compared to your peers. As far as the nobles are concerned, you're the last pony I thought would pull this stunt."
"Yes...well...circumstances have changed a little," admitted Elderflower, "I'll admit that this was not my first choice when it came to dealing with you."
"I'm guessing I forced your hoof somehow," muttered Twilight.
"Not exactly," said Elderflower, his smile widening slightly, "In fact, things were going quite swimmingly for me. However...a certain opportunity came up. I realized that, however shaky this particular plan was, this was the best chance I'd have to pull it off. So I took my chance and it paid off quite handsomely."
"And what plan is that?" asked Twilight, her eyes narrowing.
"To put it simply, since Princess Celestia does not seem to be of mind to restore things to their proper order, my allies and I have decided to take more drastic measures to save Equestria from its descent into chaos." Elderflower chuckled. "Honestly, I had been hoping to obtain your cooperation in order to help convince Princess Celestia that this was the wisest course of action. However, as I said, a certain opportunity came up and I decided to take a bit more...overt measures."
"Overt...?" Twilight snorted. "I guess foalnapping me is certainly overt. But that's not going to convince the Princesses to give the reins of government back to the Noble Court."
"Of course not," agreed Elderflower, "Which is why we took this opportunity to secure some additional leverage."
"Additional leverage?" Twilight raised an eyebrow as she went over what she knew of the situation. Elderflower must have learned of both Fancy Pants' fundraiser and the fact that ponies were insisting that she attend it, if he hadn't been one of the ponies pressuring Fancy Pants to invite her. He'd already had some measure of control over Coco and had arranged to have her placed under Rarity in Ponyville. Clearly he'd anticipated that Twilight would need a dress for the function and that she would need to have it fitted. Realizing that he'd had a chance, he'd used Coco to sedate her and arranged for her abduction and transport to Canterlot. That much was obvious. However, as to what the extra leverage Elderflower was talking about...
What could he be talking about? Twilight wondered. Her mind ran through with what she knew about the situation in Canterlot. Princess Celestia is probably still out, leading the attack against the Cult Solar. She's taken the majority of the Royal Guard with her, leaving Canterlot pretty much unguarded if Elderflower and his cronies try anything. I suppose he could be talking about a coup of some kind, but Princess Luna is still here and she'd put a stop to anything like that. So what else is there...?
"Of course, I'm all too happy to explain the situation to you," said Elderflower, "After all, I'm going to need your cooperation when all is said and done and you can scarcely cooperate with me if you are uninformed about your role in these affairs. However, that is going to have to come later. I am not so foolish as to believe that you will simply change your mind overnight and you most certainly won't be particularly well-disposed towards me after these recent events."
"Fine," said Twilight, snorting, I can work out getting away from this creep later. I need to figure out what he's up to first. But... "There is one thing I do want an answer to now."
"And that is...?"
"Where is Coco Pommel? Is she all right?"
Elderflower blinked in surprise, staring wide-eyed at Twilight for a moment. "I'm rather shocked. Your last memory of that mare should be of how she drugged you so that you could be brought to me. Why would you care for the well being of a pony who betrayed you?"
It figures that this would be one of those things he doesn't get, Twilight thought to herself. After all, Elderflower had reacted to her explanations for why she was courting Arkenstone (an earth pony, an almost heretical move for a unicorn amongst the nobility, even a knight like Twilight) much like a foal wrestling with concepts that he simply didn't have the proper frame of mind to understand. "I'm fairly sure she wasn't working for you willingly," said Twilight, very sure of that statement. She had seen Coco's enthusiasm for her work and the young mare's utter adoration of Rarity to know that those feelings weren't being faked.
"Still, treachery is treachery," said Elderflower, "You shouldn't concern yourself with a mare who has betrayed your trust."
"Look, I get that you don't understand it, but I still want you to answer the question," said Twilight, glaring hard at the stallion now, "Where is Coco?"
Seeing she wasn't going to be abandoning her inquiry anytime soon, Elderflower let out a resigned sigh. "Fine. She is here on this estate right now. She was brought to Canterlot along with you, of course. I was going to dispose of her..." He continued, ignoring the look of utter revulsion Twilight was directing at him. "...but she did have some usefulness left, so I opted to bring her into my staff for the time being. If it will reassure you, I will have her assigned to you, so that you may see for yourself."
"That's fine," said Twilight. Now that she knew Coco was here too, she realized that her plans for escape had just gotten a bit more complicated. After all, it wouldn't do to break out and leave Coco in Elderflower's hooves.
"Good," said Elderflower, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm a busy stallion right now. I have some other meetings I need to attend. There's much to be done. We shall talk later."
"I'm looking forward to it," growled Twilight as Elderflower took his leave.
Once he was gone, Twilight turned her attention back to her own body. Her limbs still felt slightly heavy, but were responsive enough that she dared to get out of bed and see if she could stand on her own. She could. Standing up, Twilight began inspecting her surroundings in more detail. The door out of the room was locked, of course. She began to inspect the rest of the room, starting with the closet.
The closet held several gowns in a variety of styles. All of them appeared to be recent acquisitions, though Twilight wondered if they would actually fit her. Then again, given the Baron's resources, he could easily arrange for fittings at any time. They were all formal pieces, primarily the sort ponies wore to balls and other important social functions. He probably expects me to accompany him to some of those events, speculated Twilight. She began rooting through the drawers of the chest, a bit of a tedious process without her magic to aid her.
The upper drawers held several small pieces of jewelry. They were of fine make, but nothing overly expensive or audacious. It was clear that more than a few of them had been purchased to act as accents to the dresses in the closet. The drawers below it were empty, which was something of a relief to Twilight. After all, if she'd found saddles or socks in them, she would have started wondering if Elderflower shared Rarity's taste in romance novels.
Looking up from the chest, Twilight found herself staring at her reflection in the mirror. Ugh! I certainly look like I've been in bed for more than a day now. With a grimace, Twilight turned and made her way into the bathroom to clean herself up.
After taking a brief bath and helping herself to the ample supply of shampoos and conditioners Elderflower had left for her, Twilight was feeling much better as she made her way out of the bathroom, still taking everything in. Going over to the curtained window, Twilight pulled the curtains back and found herself looking out over an immaculate estate, neatly trimmed lawns and colorful beds of flowers that abutted against a low wall. Beyond that wall, she could see the homes and estates of other Canterlot nobles, rising up as the city ran along the mountain. Beyond them, she could see the towers of the Royal Palace. There was something truly distressing about the situation. The Palace was where Celestia (usually) and Luna were, along with her brother and her sister-in-law. It represented safety and security. Looking out the window of her gilded cage and seeing that image so close and yet, currently, beyond her reach made the bottom drop out of her stomach.
If I really was helpless, looking at that would have probably had me in tears, thought Twilight. She realized that this had probably been the reason Elderflower had put her in this room. It was a subtle form of psychological torment, a wordless statement that he could keep her under the very noses of the ponies who cared about her without any concern. She smirked to herself. It's a good thing I'm not near as helpless as the Baron thinks I am.
He certainly thought he had the upper hoof. That confidence spoke through the things he had provided her. There were dresses in the closet, yards and yards of fabric that could have been tied together to form a rope that Twilight could use to escape through the window of this, presumably, second or third story room. The jewelry in the chest could be bent to make lock picks or any number of other tools to suit Twilight's needs...assuming she had her magic. The inhibitor ring on her horn changed all of that, cutting off those options and leaving Twilight as helpless as she would be if the room were completely bare...or rather, the Baron assumed that the ring rendered Twilight harmless.
But that would come later. First things first, she had to see Coco and work out how to help her too. Secondly, she had to be very careful about how she played her cards. Though the Baron's demeanor and actions practically oozed overconfidence, it wouldn't do to underestimate him. The mirrors over the dresser or in the bathroom could be pieces of one-way glass over concealed rooms. Twilight had heard stories about such additions to noble manors, where the home's owner could discreetly spy on her guests for potential blackmail material and the like. She wondered if the Baron or one of his agents might be watching her now, the thought sending a shiver down her spine. Twilight decided that biding her time would be a good idea for now. Even if that wasn't the case, there might still be listening spells planted around the room.
Twilight's planning was interrupted by a loud gurgle from her stomach as it forcefully reminded her that she had not eaten for more than a day. She knew that, whatever Elderflower's plan was, it couldn't hinge on her starving to death. She just hoped that he had the sense to know that she would be hungry after waking up.
As the minutes ticked slowly by, Twilight was starting to fear that he really was that stupid. Furthermore, as more time passed, Twilight found herself battling an even more insidious opponent...boredom. Ugh! Come on! He could have at least left some books for me to read. This is ridiculous.
Finally, there was a knock at the door...Well...Calling it a knock was rather generous. It was more of a light tapping, making Twilight wonder if Fluttershy was working for the Baron now. She was the only pony Twilight could remember having such a timid-sounding knock.
"Um...come in," said Twilight, feeling a bit uncertain as there was a sound of a key turning in the lock. The door opened and a surge of relief went through Twilight as she recognized the pony coming through.
Coco Pommel cringed away as her eyes met Twillight's. Behind her, on either side of the doorway, Twilight could see a pair of the Baron's guards maintaining a vigil in case Twilight tried to make a break for it while the door was open. However, neither of them mattered at the moment. Instead, Twilight used a hoof to gently beckon Coco towards her. The skittish mare did as she was instructed, carefully kicking the door closed behind her. As she did, Twilight could see the reason for the delay, a covered tray resting atop Coco's haunches. It didn't even wobble as Coco's back leg kicked out. Moving towards the table, Coco carried it with the ease of long practice, clearly used to this kind of work.
Even though her stomach was demanding that she get to whatever was on that tray, Twilight held it in check as she carefully looked Coco over for any signs of harm. To her relief, there was no evidence that Coco was hurt in any way. Twilight found herself glad that Rarity wasn't here. The fashionista would have probably broken all the windows in the mansion with her squeal if she could see how cute Coco looked in a maid's outfit.
Coco moved over to the table and gently bumped against it, sliding the tray off her haunches with easy grace. Turning around, she opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off as Twilight swept her up in a tight hug.
"M-M-Ms. T-T-T-Twilight?" stammered Coco as she shook in Twilight's embrace.
"I just wanted you to know, I'm glad you're all right," said Twilight in a soft voice, almost a whisper, "I don't think Rarity would be happy if anything happened to you."
"M-M-Ms. Twilight," whimpered Coco, clearly troubled, "I...I..."
"Shh," said Twilight, tightening her hold on Coco slightly, "I forgive you. I know somepony like you wouldn’t do something like this willingly."
That was all that it took. Coco threw her arms up and around Twilight and began sobbing into her shoulder. Twilight held her and gently rocked back and forth, trying to provide as much comfort as she could. Her stomach was still rather upset that she wasn't putting anything in it at the moment, but Twilight told the troublesome organ to hush. There were more important things to take care of. Food could come later. However, in a back corner of her mind, a tiny glimmer of resentment flared up into an absolute blaze of hatred as she silently vowed that she would make Elderflower pay for what he had put poor Coco through.
"I am glad to see that the operation has been successfully completed," said Elderflower, smiling as he looked over his desk at the ponies assembled before him.
Greenblight stood at the front, a cocky grin on his face after finishing giving his report to the Baron. Behind him and slightly to the right stood Inkwell, who looked on disinterestedly, her posture seeming to suggest a puppet with its strings cut more than a living pony. Behind and to the left of Greenblight stood Perlin, who looked on with an uncharacteristically neutral expression.
"I promised that we could do it, My Lord," said Greenblight triumphantly, "Frankly, those Guards were a disappointment. They scattered like leaves."
"That's only to be expected," Perlin pointed out, "With the bulk of them away on this little excursion Princess Celestia organized, the few that remained were bound to be worn out from extended shifts. You caught them at a time when they probably least expected trouble. Everypony anticipates bandits raiding in the dark of the night, but to launch such a bold attack in broad daylight is practically unheard of."
"Very true," agreed Elderflower, now turning his attention to Perlin, "As for you, I am pleased that you performed to my expectations. You apparently did an excellent job of keeping Shining Armor occupied."
"Bah!" spat Greenblight, only just barely avoiding actually spitting (it wouldn't be fitting in the presence of his employer after all), "He tripped at the finish line if you ask me. Shining Armor popped up right as we were completing the extraction. You could have held him for at least a couple more minutes."
Perlin shrugged indifferently, "By that point, I figured he wouldn't be able to cause too much interference," he lied blithely. The last thing the young stallion wanted was for the Baron and Greenblight to learn about the real reason he had withdrawn from the fight so early.
"Regardless," said Elderflower, cutting the budding argument off, "Perlin has performed admirably. A measure of my trust has been restored and I hope that I can count on you to provide equal, if not superior, service in the future."
"I shall endeavor to," said Perlin, bowing and spreading his wings.
Elderflower's smile grew a little bit larger. "Well now. You seem to have learned some respect as well. Perhaps I should have brought up Coco Pommel much earlier than I did if I had known it would have these results."
Perlin's eyes narrowed dangerously. However, he managed to maintain his polite demeanor. "Are you finished with me then, My Lord?”
"I am," said Elderflower, waving a dismissive hoof, "I shall call for you when I require your services again. You as well, Master Greenblight. You are dismissed." Elderflower directed his gaze directly into Perlin's eyes. "I have given Ms. Pommel some duties to keep her from growing bored here. If you desire to see her, she is currently attending to our guest."
"Thank you, My Lord," said Perlin, bowing his head again as he slowly backed out the door. Greenblight and Inkwell withdrew as well, leaving Elderflower alone in his office.
Settling back, Elderflower let out a sigh of satisfaction. "Things are working out so well now."
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Backpfeifengesicht
German compound word for a 'face that should be slapped'
or for Elderflower, punched repeatedly
bit
_______________
This series is growing more and more epic. I can't wait to see his talk with Twilight.
what about Twilight's armor ring thing? or does she need her magic 4 that
Idiots... Just... Blind fucking idiots... Seriously. How can somepony so stupid be able to pull something like this off? It still baffles me how no one has any idea that the Nobles are breaking laws and doing criminal things. But the Nobles are all so freaken stupid and just going to be getting themselves killed for no reason or benifit.
This is why I hate most stories that has a 'Noble' class. Because very rarely does any of them do them any justice. They are all evil, and all stupid, and yet some how is able to be undetected, untouchable, and nearly win till the very end... Just Because.
Most everything in this universe you build is awesome. But the nobles? That's got to be the weakest link.
....Well, that's one mansion that's going be turned to cinders.
6831132
It would be just the most hilarious thing if summoning that just caused the inhibitor to pop off, and she then just teleported out.
Famous last words Snake spit.
Well after everything is said and done the Nobility will no longer be a concern. They will not exist much longer.
YOU Know what this trash doesn't deserve a gun shot or the sweet steel of a blade at all!!! Where is that blasted demon summoning book? This trash deserves something that will torcher him and his soul.
Honestly this little coup of theirs is no different than Terra leveling Ponyville, it will be all the justification the crown needs to disband the nobility all together. With an elected parliament or congress Celestia and Luna would likely become symbolic rulers or, if they so desired, abdicate and live their own lives. No matter what I'm gonna be happy when Elderflower bites it, but I really hope Perlin is the one to do him in.
Elderflower...
s2.quickmeme.com/img/ab/ab6506343011cf2e1a0ff5bff6b42556ed2e50a5f1dfd3ca120f826c678a9f46.jpg
Elderflower: "Don't think you, Coco Pomel and Perlin can escape my estate!"
"
Twilight: "Elderflower? Can you answer a question for me? It's always puzzled me ever since the first time I saw it."
Elderflower: "And what question is that?"
*Twilight activates the arcansteel ring and the mansion blows up*
Twilight: "Why IS IT ALWAYS that SAME DAMN MUSHROOM CLOUD?"
Elderflower: "oh, futa
Elderflower is practically the definition of "scum of the earth." I hope he gets sliced up by Arkenstone just like Steel Flint. Except much more slowly.
Everyone has expressed rage. I am not so infuriated, though I would like to use magic to make Elderflower eat his own beating heart, but that is irrelevant. Everyone knows he will die horribly.
7655540
Sadly not horrible enough. Of course I'm the kind of vindictive that believes that death is a mercy, and there can be things far worse than that.
Was sad that it wasn't as horrible as he deserved.
7568194
Oh I bet he will be. Only probably left alive albeit crippled and de-hornitized.
I wonder what the good doctor is up to nowadays