Norse Code

by NorsePony

The Cave - Adventure, Dark (depending on taste)

Light that filled the sky, and a clap of thunder like getting kicked in the head. And a tiny shape falling, trailing light behind it like a shooting star.

Oh, Celestia. “Twilight!” To Rainbow and Fluttershy: “Catch her! We gotta run!”

They flew up lickety-split and snagged Twi between them. You can always count on Fluttershy when the chips are down.

The light faded out of the sky and darkness replaced it - a darkness that swelled and grew up out of the dead grey horizon, a darkness with eyes and gleaming teeth in a smile that could swallow the world. “Morpheus is coming! Move, move! Get to that cave!”

The mouth split open and Morpheus’ voice pretty near shook the ground out from under my hooves. “Little ponies, what will you do without your Magic?” I could feel his smirk on the back of my head, but I just kept hightailing it for the cave. Rarity and Pinkie Pie kept right on up with me, too, running for all they were worth.

We rounded a boulder and there was the cave, shining from inside with that sweet light. I felt Morpheus growl more than I heard it, and the ground felt wrong all of a sudden. I jammed my hooves in and threw myself sideways into Rarity, knowing Pinkie would feel it too.

I caught a whiff of that shampoo of hers as we crashed down into a prickly bush. I hopped up fast as I could, and just in time, too. Some kind of oily black thing was climbing out of the hole that had opened up in the ground. It didn’t have eyes, but I could feel it looking at me. Rainbow had that look and I knew I had to head her off at the pass. I shouted, “Keep going! Get Twilight to the cave!” and I rushed at the monster while it was still hauling itself up.

I heard the girls head off, thank the stars. Last thing I wanted to worry about was this thing getting more than one of us. It roared at me as I came close. Its breath was like a summer outhouse. It lifted its shapeless hand to swat at me, and I jerked to the side as it came down in a whack that would have crushed a house. It reared back to hit again, but it wasn’t any kind of smart. It’d let me get over to its other hand. I spun and gave it a buck, neat as you please. My hooves sank into it a little in a way that made my skin crawl, but underneath the soft was all hard, and if it’d been a tree, I’d have bucked off all its apples and its leaves.

The monster roared again, with pain in it this time, and its hand slipped from the edge of the hole. It grabbed at the earth but couldn’t hold on, and in a blink, it was gone.

I hauled off and ran for the cave fast as I could, before Morpheus had any more ideas. Pinkie and Rainbow were watching me come. Rainbow looked half-impressed and half-envious. Pinkie just looked worried. I ran harder.

The clean light spilling out of the cave felt like a bath after a hard day in the fields. I had to squint against the gleam of the crystals studding the walls as I skidded to a stop.

“Nice kick, AJ!”

“You really showed that nasty old icky monster!”

I shook my head and peered deeper into the cave. “Never mind that. How’s Twi?”

Rainbow’s face fell and a flicker of mad lit in her eyes. She was upset that I’d reminded her. “She’s in the back. I think it’s not good.”

I sucked air through my teeth. “Where?”

Pinkie walked by. “Over here.” I tried not to see just how worried she looked.

They’d set Twilight down deeper in, around a corner to hide her from the outside. This was a safe place ‘cause of the crystals, somehow, but it was a good bit of caution anyway.

Fluttershy was fussing over Twilight, and Rarity was clucking and murmuring and doing whatever she could to help. The floor of the cave was gritty with a sandy muck that dug its way into your coat, but Rarity was laying right down in it, not even paying attention. That made my gut clench up. “How is she?”

Rarity ignored me. Fluttershy swallowed, but her eyes were steady as rocks when she looked at me. That mare’s been around a lot of pain and death with her animals. I couldn’t do what she does, I know that. So her words made my heart stop and think twice before it decided to go on beating: “It’s very bad.”

I sank down by them. My hat was in my hooves, twisting around without me making them do it. The apple necklace was cold against my throat. “What’ll we do without her?” Twi was the only one who could fight Morpheus. It had to be magic to magic, we knew that coming in. The rest of us were here to help however we could, but it was Twi’s show.

No one had an answer for me.

Twilight opened her eyes.

I started to say her name, all glad-like, but it clogged in my throat when I saw. Her eyes were empty, like she was already gone. Her lips moved like she wanted to talk, but the only sound that came out was a burbling rattle.

The rattle stopped like it was cut off with a knife. Fluttershy pressed her hooves to her mouth and a gasping sob worked its way around them.

I looked up at the ceiling, just to look at nothing for a while. I tried to breathe. How were we going to tell her family no NO fight Morpheus now? We had to help the Gloamlings, that was why we were here.

A seam of brilliant light walked its way across the cave’s ceiling. I blinked at it, sure my eyes were playing tricks with my tears, but it was still there. It went from floor to ceiling to floor, then it cracked like an eggshell and the hot white light flooded over me.

“. . .jack. Applejack. Wake up!” It was Twilight’s voice. I forced my eyes open against the light. It was Twilight’s horn, touching right between my eyes and glowing fit to burst.

When she saw me looking at her, she let it fade and sat back, breathing hard. She smiled, just the way I never thought I’d see again. I hadn’t had time to realize that I was going to miss it. “Thank goodness you’re awake. You can help me wake up the others.”

I felt like my brain had missed a stagecoach somewhere. “What?”

She pointed at the bodies of the other girls, who were sprawled and contorted like they’d collapsed in the middle of running. I looked around. We were in the cave still. Or maybe again? I levered myself up. My legs felt like I hadn’t moved in a week. They wobbled under me. I frowned in Twilight’s direction. “What happened?”

“Morpheus tricked us somehow. He got around my protection spells and used his sleep power on us. When I . . . died, in the dream, I realized what had happened and was able to break the enchantment.”

I grunted. “Master of Dreams, alright. Just like Luna warned us. So what’s the plan once we wake the others up?”

She smiled. “It’s all taken care of.”

I just stared at her. My eyebrow climbed on its own.

She went on, “He was here when I woke up. He didn’t expect me to wake up, and I took him by surprise.”

“You mean—”

She nodded and hitched her head to the side, pointing out toward the mouth of the cave, at a little bundle of rags and fur laying motionless on the floor. I hadn’t noticed it until then, ‘cause it was so small. “I tried to use the Elements on him, but with the rest of you still under his spell, they wouldn’t activate.” She looked down and pawed at the floor. “I had to really fight him.”

I teetered over to her and put a hoof on her shoulder. “I know you did what you had to do, Twi. You saved us, and you freed the Gloamlings.”

She touched my hoof with hers. “Thanks, Applejack.”

I smiled. “Now let’s get the girls up and get home.” I’d been too long away from the farm. Duty was duty, but I wanted to get back to my work.

A seam of brilliant light crossed her face like she was being unzipped from the inside. My heart thundered in my chest as I skittered back away. She tilted her head at me, horrifyingly puzzled. She cracked like an eggshell and the light surrounded me.

Author's Note:

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This was written for Thirty Minute Ponies' prompt #478. The prompt was "The only way out is if someone dies."

Comments

[Themaskedferret]

damn...