Act II - Ch. 12 Herrings & Nightmares
Well diddle my fiddle and call me your liege lord, this is the longest chapter yet! I could have ended it at the 8500 or so mark but no, I had to keep on going! I’ll say no more, although Merujea might have something to add.
Nope, nothing from me today. Wait, darn it that counts as something!
Read, and enjoy!
As ever, Bulwark is based on Barricade who is the creation of KnightMysterio.
Chapter 12 Herrings & Nightmares
***
Celestia’s sun rose slowly, beams of light washing away the last vestiges of night. A thick swath of dawn shone between the wide open curtains and lay over a large, occupied bed. One of the sheet covered lumps stirred, bleary eyes creaking open a crack to squint at the light.
Applejack’s first thought ran something along the lines of ‘Ah love sleepin’ in.’ She nuzzled the warm thing she was holding in the curve of her body. Chances to sleep in were rare on the farm and she relished the opportunity. Eyes closing once more she snuggled closer to the warm softness pressing against her and a loud sigh of contentment filled the room.
It took her a few minutes to cotton onto the fact she had not been the one to make the sound. Applejack’s eyes snapped open. She focused on the warm softness and was greeted by a colour splash of rainbow.
Or rather, of Rainbow. The pegasus shifted in her sleep, pressing back into the warmth that was Applejack. The farmpony froze, her mind working furiously at it while her face lit up. Okay, the situation was not as odd as it seemed at first, second, third and possibly fifteenth glance. She remembered her friend’s embarrassed request and letting Rainbow Dash sleep in her bed. Nothing weird about that, just helping a friend in need. A friend in need who she had snuggled with while asleep.
Okay, perhaps it was a little weird.
She should move away a bit, Applejack knew, before Rainbow Dash woke up and things became weirder. She did not want to deal with the no doubt embarrassing conversation when her friend was back in the land of the waking.
On the other hoof...well, Dash was on top of her other hoof. She pulled it slightly and got a groan in response. Applejack froze again. After a few seconds Rainbow Dash stopped fidgeting and went back to her gentle slumber.
‘Well’ thought Applejack, ‘This is one helluva pickle, no mistake.’ Unable to get free, there was only really one option left to her.
She went back to sleep. Shame to waste a morning after all.
***
A few hours later Applejack was once more stirred from her slumber by soft knocking at her door. The door to the hall this time, rather than to Rainbow’s room. Awake and aware Applejack tired to get up only to find a familiar weight still on her leg. The knocks sounded once more, a pattern of three slightly louder this time.
“Hold yer horses, Ah’m comin’.” She grumbled, attempting to gently pry Dash off her leg. Another series of knocks, once more louder than before, made Rainbow mumble incoherently in her sleep and press down on Applejack’s leg. She was just short of spitting out a curse when the door began to slowly open.
“Aaaapple~jaaack~!” Rarity sing-songed quietly as she peeked in. “I know you must want a chance to sleep in but we’re about to go down for break...fast...” she stopped, staring at the panicking farmpony. Taking another step into the room she craned her neck to see better. A wide smile began to spread across her face when she caught sight of Rainbow’s eponymous mane.
“Don’t. Say. A word.” Applejack warned in a quiet hiss. She made another attempt for freedom that was ultimately thwarted by Dash using her leg as a make-shift teddy-bear.
Rarity tried to clamp her lips shut but a giggle escaped nonetheless. “I-I wouldn’t dream of it darling. You look like you’re so cosy!” she managed without losing control, to her own amazement.
Applejack’s glare could have melted steel. “It ain’t what it looks like.” Success! Rainbow Dash shifted slightly, lessening the weight on Applejack’s leg enough to move it back slightly. Now her hoof was just retreating past the weathermare’s neck.
“I’m sure it’s not.” whispered back Rarity with a titter. It was taking all her willpower not to burst into unladylike guffaws.
“It ain’t!” the captive mare growled. She would have gone on but her expression abruptly changed to one of confusion and shortly thereafter disgust. Before Rarity would ask what was wrong a loud slurping sound filled the room.
Applejack’s shock widened eyes meet Rarity’s.
“She’s suckin’ mah hoof!” cried Applejack frantically if still not loudly. “Help!”
Deciding not to laugh again quite yet Rarity nodded, a look of determination stealing over her face. “I’ll get something. Don’t go anywhere.” She added with a mischievous wink.
“Rarity! Rarity, for landsakes!” Applejack all but howled, only catching herself and lowering her volume a second before vocalising her annoyed thoughts. She ground her teeth, fighting back a shudder she felt drool dripping over her ankle. If she hadn’t wanted Rainbow Dash to wake up because it would be embarrassing before, by now...
Not two minutes later Rarity was back. Something wrapped in her magic came with her but what it was Applejack couldn’t see.
“’Bout time! Mah leg is gettin’ drooled on!”
Rarity recoiled slightly at the thought, closing the door as lightly as she could behind her. “I sent the others down ahead of us, so we shan’t be disturbed while we resolve this little ‘incident’.”
This got a sigh of relief from Applejack. “Thank ya kindly sugarcube. If anypony saw this we’d both be mighty embarrassed.” She thanked the unicorn as she approached. Applejack still couldn’t see what her friend had brought, although she was about to find out.
Smiling from the foot of the bed, Rarity fiddled with something just out of sight. “Not at all darling, think nothing of it. After all, what are friends for? Now, do be a dear and smile!”
Click!
Applejack froze for the third time that morning, although it hadn’t reached her insides before like it did now, when a bright flash blinded her. She rubbed her free hoof against her eyes until they cleared. The moment her sight returned a widely grinning – not smiling, definitely grinning – Rarity and a camera greeted her.
“Say cheese!” another flash. “Oh, this is just too adorable to miss!” Rarity squealed giddily, clapping her hooves together.
“Ya’ll know Ah’m gonna kill yah when Ah’m free, right?” Applejack asked, giving the unicorn a look that could freeze molten metal. Molten metal from her previous glare, presumably.
Rarity clucked her tongue, taking a few more pictures from other angles while the farmpony was helpless to stop her. Somehow Rainbow Dash continued to snooze through the click and flash, but Rarity turned the flash off quickly just to be safe. Once she had enough to be certain a batch of good quality selections could be made she lowered the camera. Favouring Applejack with a smug smile that had just a hint of a smirk Rarity prepared her plan with a quickly borrowed prop from Pinkie’s room.
“Well now, I believe I’ve had my fun and games. Let’s get you free, hmm?”
“’Bout darn time,” Applejack grumbled.
“Now, just hold on a moment darling and when I say the word, pull your hoof out. Gently.” Something surrounded by Rarity’s aura floated up on Rainbow Dash’s other side. Applejack considered looking over her friend to see it but reconsidered when Rainbow shifted slightly.
“Alright...gently now.” Something nudged Applejack’s hoof slightly and at Rarity’s prompting she began to withdraw her leg. Dash’s grip slowly transferred to the object taking her hoof’s place and it was with an incredible amount of relief Applejack got her limb back with additional...’bonus’ of a layer of drool.
Rolling off the bed the moment she was free, Applejack wasted no time in cleaning the drool from her hoof. “That” the earth pony muttered “was disgustin’. Thanks.”
Her thoughts were interrupted by the ‘click’ of Rarity’s camera once more. Looking up to make sure she wasn’t going to feature in anymore unwilling pictures she found Rarity snapping away at the still asleep Rainbow Dash.
‘How tha hay does that filly do it?’ Applejack thought. Curious about why Rarity was still taking pictures she trotted over. “Still takin’ pictures? Gettin’ a mite bit creepy there sugarcube.”
A mysterious smirk came to Rarity’s face. “Oh, darling” she practically purred “come have a look and I absolutely promise you’ll see why.”
Joining her friend with a suspicious expression on Applejack followed Rarity’s line of sight. She had to stuff a hoof into her mouth to stop from bursting into laughter. Rarity giggled and took another picture.
“Ah want some of them pictures.”
“Oh, I’m sure I can part with a few.”
A minute later Applejack ushered Rarity out and turned back to wake Rainbow Dash, grinning ear to ear at the sight of the cocky pegasus hugging a teddy-bear.
***
“-ut up Applejack!”
The collection of mares and single solitary stallion sitting a ways from the others looked up at the sound of the door opening and Rainbow Dash’s brash voice. The pegasus entered a few trots ahead of Applejack, her cheeks flushed and expression irate.
“What are you lookin’ at?” she challenged them, eyes narrowing into a glare. The girls immediately went back to the business of eating breakfast, although not without keeping an eye on their polychromatic-maned friend of course. Rarity restrained a grin, deciding it would best not to give away her ‘inside’ information just yet.
“Nothing dear, nothing at all. You were so late in getting up we’re all nearly done with breakfast.” Rarity told her, patting a spot next to her. “Best hurry along and eat up. Fluttershy was just telling us all about her romantic-”
“Rarity!” Fluttershy gave her what might have meant to be a scowl but looked more like a pout.
“- walk in the gardens last night with Sir Paladin!” she smirked, though Paladin failed to react in any appreciable way.
His flat gaze turned to her after a moment. “A mere chance to observe the gardens when sleep escaped me. You seem unhealthily focused on it.” There was no hint of embarrassment or awkwardness in his voice, as though he were simply stating a fact. With that he again began to methodically consume his choice of food.
“Oh, you are a gentlecolt but so very little fun when it comes to gossip.” Rarity complained.
Rainbow Dash snorted, dropping Applejack’s hat next to her before digging into the waffles she quickly piled up on her plate.
“Whatever. Let’sh eeb sho be-” she swallowed. “Let’s get so we can go interrogate Trixie! I’ll have that liar spilling the beans before you can say ‘Rainbow Dash the Wonderbolt!’”
“Rainbow Dash, we need to think about this.” Twilight scolded her. “The Princesses want us to convince Trixie to let them have a look at her memories, not beat the information out of her.”
The pegasus scoffed. “I wasn’t gonna beat her up Twi’. I was gonna lock Pinkie in the room with her until she caved.” Rainbow Dash said with a smug smirk.
Everypony looked at Pinkie, who smiled and waved.
“It could work...” admitted Twilight. She shook her head a second later. “No. We’re meant to convince her to do it willingly, not by annoying her until she gives in just to be spared Pinkie.”
Pinkie, who had somehow acquired a pile of apparently random items to show Trixie, let out a small ‘awww’ of disappointment and threw them out a window as she pouted.
“We’re going to convince Trixie...somehow. We just need to think of something.”
“If anypony can do it, I’m sure my little sister can.” A male voice called out.
Twilight leapt from her spot at the table to run over to her brother, wrapping him in a hug before he was completely through the doorway. “Shiny!”
“It’s good to see you too Twily.” Shining Armour smiled at his sister and returned the hug. “Thought I’d come see you before I take over from Captain Bulwark.”
Tyrael inspected the armoured unicorn curiously. He had briefly glimpsed him after his awakening in his mortal sh- body, but only for a moment. ‘Interesting. Siblings sharing stronger than average magical gifts, if his position is any indication.’
“Thought I’d see that new horn of yours the Princess told me about.” Shining Armour added, tapping a hoof against it. He whistled. “Nearly as long as mine. Not that you need it, considering how powerful you already are.”
Twilight blushed at the praise. “Stop it... Its only gotten forty-one point three percent bigger.” She smacked him on the shoulder, ignoring his chuckle.
“Always so modest.” He turned to greet the others, nodding and acknowledging by name. “A pleasure to meet you all again.” When his gaze came to Paladin and stopped. He contemplated the silent pegasus for a moment, speaking just before his sister could decide to do introductions. “Ah! It’s good to see you well. I was here while you were still recovering from the Princesses’ healing.” He explained.
Paladin nodded in response. “I see. I am afraid I do not recall. My apologies.”
The knightly unicorn waved the apology away. “You were rather indisposed. Besides, from what I heard I owe you a lot for saving my sister. And her friends.” Shining added with a sheepish grin at the rest of the room.
“I could do nothing less.” Tyr- Paladin told him.
“Not to me.” Shining looked back at his sister, who was feeling a little awkward. “I don’t know what I’d have done if that thing k-... got you.” He told her soberly, hesitating at the end.
“It’s over now.” Nuzzling her brother affectionately Twilight, glanced back at her friends. “We’re fine, I didn’t...I came through it.”
“Heh, I was about ready to come charging down to make sure myself, orders be damned.” He admitted with another chuckle.
“What made you decide not to? Cadance?”
Another sheepish grin appeared. “Not exactly. She was close to going herself. Let’s just say that a peer took some, um, steps to give me time to cool off.”
“Steps?” Twilight asked with a cocked eyebrow.
“Yes, steps.” Replied Shining Armour making absolutely no bones about the fact he had no intention of telling his sister what happened.
It had taken ages for that bruise to heal and he was reminded yet again that some pegasi packed a lot of punch. Especially the ones built like a mountain range.
The clanging of a bell rang around across the castle and Shining Armour grimaced. “Sorry Twily, I gotta run. Bulwark can be good about waiting – if I have a good reason. Oh, by the way, the Princess asked me to tell you to take the day off. Show your friends the museum or something. Use the time to think about what to do with Trixie. You’re not going to devise a way if you’re worrying about it all day.”
Twilight frowned at the news. “I guess the Princess knows what she’s talking about...thanks for bringing the message Shiny. Have a nice shift.” She hugged him again.
“A kiss from my beautiful wife not ten minutes ago and a hug from my beautiful sister.” He grinned at Twilight as he pulled away. “I’m the luckiest colt in Canterlot.”
“Go do your job, Shiny.” Twilight told him with an answering smile.
He waved farewell to the others as he left.
“So...” turning to her friends, a cheerful grin broke out on Twilight’s face. “...the Royal Museum?”
Everypony save Paladin groaned.
“What’s wrong? Princess Celestia herself has donated many of the oldest and most interesting artefacts that make up the Royal Canterlot Museum’s wide and varied range of attractions.” Twilight told them fiercely, sounding for all the world like a pamphlet in pony form.
Applejack reached up to adjust her hat nervously. She hoofed at the air futilely for a few seconds, coincidentally making Rainbow Dash snort milk out her nose in laughter, before making the mental connection about who was looking after her hat at the moment.
“Twi, Ah ain’t sure ya wanna hear this but museums are kinda-”
“Boring!” Pinkie cut in, jumping on the table. “Why would you wanna spend time in a dust old museum when you could plan a surprise ‘Please-Let-The-Princess-Read-Your-Mind’ party?”
“But...” sighing despondently Twilight looked down at the table. “...fine.”
Paladin absently swallowed the last mouthful of his breakfast. Waffles were surprisingly delicious, and despite himself Paladin wondered if Twilight had any maple syrup back at the library. He reprimanded himself for giving into a physical weakness. That was the purview of demons and mortals...
Which he was now. Somehow, that made him feel slightly better about indulging. Archangels were meant to be perfect paragons, but he wasn’t Tyrael anymore, was he? He was Paladin now. While the girls were busy he gave in to a moment of weakness and gave his plate a discreet lick. There had been a bit of syrup left.
“Now darling, we didn’t mean it that way. I’m absolutely positive we’d all be happy for you to show us around the museum. Isn’t that right?” Rarity shot a stern glare at the others as she patted Twilight’s back. “Isn’t that right?” she repeated firmly.
“Whatever.” Rainbow Dash grumbled, shovelling food into her maw.
The others, including a pouting Pinkie Pie, quickly agreed. As much as she might not be interested herself, Pinkie would never let a friend stay sad just to avoid the museum.
“You’re sure?” asked a substantially cheered Twilight.
Rarity nodded on their behalf. “Entirely.”
“Hug time!” Pinkie cried as though she had never been pouting. Somehow she managed to pull the others into a hug. This was not one of her brighter ideas, considered the various foodstuffs remaining on the table. Much like her heavily-lamented (and feared) ‘pie-cake’ experiment it ended up with food going everywhere.
“Pinkie!”
***
“Paladin, do you want to come?” Twilight asked after breakfast as she led the way out of the dining room. Either thanks to extremely good fortune or deliberately for Rainbow Dash’s sake the room had a door leading straight into the gardens.
“Why would he wanna do that?” Rainbow Dash muttered to Applejack, adjusting her borrowed hat when she got a knee to the flank. “Ow! What was that for?”
Ignoring the two, Paladin considered the offer for a moment. He was still on alert from the night before, but he could think of no good reason to turn her down.
He nodded. “I shall.”
“Great! Follow me everypony.” Twilight turned to lead them to the museum, missing Fluttershy’s attempt to gain her attention.
“Um, actually...Twilight? Uh, Twilight?” the timid mare’s near-whisper was lost as Twilight fell into her pre-museum lecture. The next few minutes were a somewhat maddening time for Fluttershy. The rest of the group had already tuned out Twilight, meaning they were in no position to notice anything quieter.
“It was founded three hundred years ago when the palace was receiving significant renovations after the fish-haddock of-”
“Twilight, my mother-”
“-so she made me clean the paint off all on my own and Spike wasn’t allowed near the exhibit for the next few years-”
“TWILIGHT!” In the far distance flocks of birds took flight.
The unicorn froze mid-way through a tangent involving why the museum banned Spike from the geological displays. She, and the rest of the group, stared at Fluttershy. Even Paladin was impressed. She blushed and looked down, mane veiling her face. A few guards in sight visibly pulled their attention back to their job, hearts in their throats, as the echoes of the shout faded.
In her tower, Luna snorted in her sleep, ears twitching as the shout penetrated the walls and stirring before turning back to her dreams.
“Oh, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me. I didn’t mean to be so loud. I’m so embarrassed, I’m really sorry Twilight it’s just I-” Fluttershy mumbled through her mane.
“That was awesome!” Rainbow Dash crowed. “Why couldn’t you cheer for me like that before?”
“Who knows ya had a set’a lungs like that on ya sugercube?” agreed Applejack with a hearty nod.
Pinkie shoved her head through Fluttershy’s mane, eliciting a ‘meep’ from the pegasus. “I thought you were all quiety-polite-y an’ stuff! You should be LOUD MORE OFTEN!” she bellowed cheerfully, pulled away at the last second by Rarity’s magic.
“It certainly was impressive.” added Twilight. She smiled at Fluttershy. “What were you saying?”
“Um, well, my mother-” Fluttershy began.
“She’s here?!” Rainbow Dash yelped, suddenly looking very nervous. They had reached a lawn of well trimmed grass and open air, and Dash was now scanning the area around them.
“N-not yet.”
Rainbow let out a relieved sigh. “Oh thank- wait, ‘yet’?” she gulped and looked to the other pegasus worriedly. “You don’t think she’s still mad about me about that whole ‘mustard’ incident, is she? I haven’t gotten you into trouble lately, have I?” she clapped her hooves onto her cheeks. “Oh no, what if she’s mad at me for not going with you into the Everfree Forest?”
Watching Rainbow Dash flitting about, searching for any giant pegasi, Applejack looked to Fluttershy asking “What in Equestria is goin’ on with that girl?”
“Sorry, but mama has...um, ‘had stern words’ with Rainbow Dash before for getting me in trouble when we were foals. Not that it was Rainbow’s fault really; I mean I could have decided not to go along with it.” Fluttershy shrugged weakly at Applejack’s frown.
The farmer eyed her sceptically. “Can’t imagine yer ma, no offense, bein’ the sort ta-”
“THE SORT TO WHAT?” a verbal explosion in the shape of words blasted in question without warning.
The girls all shirked in fright. Paladin, who had seen Bulwark’s surprisingly stealthy approach through the gardens, fought back a smirk. The massive mare tipped him a grateful wink.
“Whoa nelly!” Applejack reared. She found the source of the sonic blast, a pegasus matching Fluttershy’s colouration wearing the armour of the Royal Guard and big enough to give Big Macintosh pause. A long pause at that.
“Sorry about that kids. You must be my little Flutters’ friends. Pleasure to meet you all. My name is Bulwark.” She pulled Fluttershy into a hug, releasing her for a moment only to pull Rainbow Dash in as well. “Good to see you Rainbow Dash.”
Dash grinned nervously in response. “H-hey Mrs Bulwark- I haven’t done anything wrong!” she snapped her jaw shut fearfully.
Bulwark squinted at her for a moment. “Um, okay.”
“Wow! I think you might be a bit bigger than Pally!” Pinkie exclaimed from between Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. How she got into the hug was a mystery known to nopony, other than the well-known fact no hug was un-impenetrable to Pinkie Pie. She smiled at Bulwark. “Hi, I’m Pinkie Pie!”
“Hi Pinkie Pie, nice to meet you.” The guard-pegasus greeted the strange one warmly. She had heard quite a bit about her daughter’s friends, both via the grapevine and letters from Fluttershy.
The pink party pony beamed back at her. “It’s nice to meet you as well! I dunno why Dashie was all shaky and worried about running into you.”
“Pinkie!” Rainbow Dash hissed.
Bulwark simply laughed, releasing the girls. “I’m afraid that’s my fault. I overreacted when she got Fluttershy into trouble when they were foals. Still, Rainbow, I should think you could get over one little spanking!”
Rainbow Dash was suddenly aware of all her friends looking at her with interest and heat gathering in her cheeks.
“Mama.” Fluttershy scold her mother, knowing how embarrassed Rainbow Dash would be.
“Sorry kiddo.” apologised Bulwark, “It’s hard not to tease. After all, I’ve known little...Dashie-” she grinned at Pinkie’s pet name for the brash pegasus “-for years. By Tartarus, I helped toilet-trained her when she was seven!”
“Somepony kill me!” Rainbow wailed to the heavens, sinking to the ground and pulling Applejack’s hat over her face to hide the redness.
“Seven?” It took every iota of her considerable willpower for Applejack not to simply burst into laughter. The mortified Rainbow Dash tried to bury her head deeper between her hooves and hat.
Rarity looked away and discreetly tried not to giggle while Twilight did the same with less success. Sighing, Fluttershy patted Rainbow on the shoulder.
“Hey, everypony, I just had a great idea!” she desperately shouted, hoping to drown out their amusement.”Let’s go to the museum! Twilight, come on, go go go.” Leaping up, Dash shoved her head against Twilight’s side and began to push her.
Twilight let it go on for a few seconds before pointing out a problem. “Dash, the museum is that way.”
“I knew that!”
***
“But...but haven’t you been here before? Why would you wanna come?”
“Afraid not. Well, once just after I was made Captain of the Pegasus Guard but that was years ago. About when you and Flutters moved to Ponyville.”
“Nngh.” Rainbow Dash grounded her teeth, glaring at the wide open building they were entering.
She shivered slightly at the walls, thanking Celestia that the ceiling was clear panes of glass. So long as she focused on either talking or listening to Twilight’s lecture for once she could avoid thinking about the thick, confining walls that sat between her and open air like prison bars of unbreakable iron.
Bulwark frowned, remembering Fluttershy’s mention of Rainbow’s condition the night before. They trailed a little behind the rest of the group as Twilight led them through the museum, talking animatedly about many of the displays.
“You doing okay there?” she asked after a moment.
“I’m fine!” Dash snarled with more hostility in her voice than she intended. She shook her head. “Really, I’m...fine.” the feeling of Applejack’s hat was a reassuring weight, a constant reminder of her friends.
“Uh huh.” Looking not at all convinced Bulwark simply increased her pace slightly. Subconsciously the smaller pegasus matched her speed and they quickly caught the others, just as she intended. While she might not be a psychologist, Bulwark was no foal. Clearly Rainbow Dash was more comfortable indoors when she had friends surrounding her.
Paladin was in the middle of inspecting a piece of ancient armour, not quite hiding his disdain.
“This was considered a revolutionary design for its time!” Twilight said, gesticulating aggressively. “How can you just...just...argh!”
He failed to react to her frustration. “I could shatter it with ease.” He told her entirely too calm for the unicorn’s liking. “It may have been an improvement on its kind of that time, I will not deny that, but even so that does not correct its mistakes.”
“You two know that’s just a replica, right?” Bulwark cut in before Twilight could retort.
“What? But...wait...” Twilight looked again at the inscription on its pedestal before her cheeks flushed. “Oh, right. The original was getting too old. I, um, forgot. Woops.”
Paladin frowned. “A ‘replica’?” his tone was, strangely, irritated. “What point is there in forging armour if it is not intended for battle?” he snorted. “Foolishness.”
“It is just a display, darling.” Rarity pointed out.
His eyes narrowed slightly. “It is a mockery. To willing craft inferior armour is madness. Let us move on.”
Twilight gave him a confused look but shrugged and complied. Everypony was welcome to a few eccentricities.
“Let’s have a look at the magical relics section.” She smiled fondly. “I used to love coming here. Look, there’s a Sky Crystal!”She pointed at a hoof-sized chunk of dull white crystal in a glass display case.
“A what now?”
“A Sky Crystal! This one is inactive, obviously.” Twilight explained. “Rainbow Dash, this might interest you as well.”
The pegasus snorted and crossed her forelegs. “I seriously doubt that. Just a lump of some fancy rock.”
“A Sky Crystal is raw sky magic in physical form. Purified by unicorn magic in an intensive process that took months to produce a crystal that size.” Twilight told her, gesticulating with a bit too much force.
“Sounds kinda pointless if you ask me” Said Rainbow Dash, shrugging. “What’s the point of that when we pegasi handle all the weather?”
Twilight shook her head. “Sky Crystals aren’t made anymore. They were a creation of the ancient Unicorn tribe long ago. They wanted to control the weather without needing to rely on the Pegasus Tribe, but obviously they can’t channel sky magic.”
“Uh..., yeah, obviously, hehe.” Rubbing the back of her neck nervously, Rainbow Dash looked around for an excuse to change the topic before Twilight decided to explain m-
“You do know what sky magic is, right?” Twilight asked her with a critical look in her. “The magic which lets pegasi walk on clouds and control the weather?”
“Well, I think they mentioned in back in flight camp once...but it was really boring so I fell asleep.” Rainbow Dash admitted nonchalantly.
For a moment Twilight looked like she was in danger of popping of a blood vessel. “It’s an essential part of pegasus biology!”
“So’s a colon but I don’t know what that does!” Dash argued, pointing randomly at where she vaguely suspected her internal organs were.
“For your information colons absorb carbohydrates-”
“I wasn’t asking! Fine, alright, tell me more about the stupid crystal.” She interrupted Twilight before she could say anymore. Rainbow Dash had no interest in receiving an hour-long lecture about her stomach or whatever from Twilight.
“Thank you.” answered Twilight with a proud grin. She loved it when ponies wanted to learn. Even if it was only to avoid learning something else. “You see, sky magic is what drives everything in the sky, as the name would suggest. Among ponies only pegasi and alicorns possess natural sky magic, although the former can’t actively use it in most situations.”
“You don’t say.” Rainbow Dash muttered.
To her surprise it was Paladin who reprimanded her. “I wish to hear.” He turned his attention back to Twilight. “Please, continue.”
She blinked at the sudden attention. “Okay, um, yes the Unicorn tribe tried to use sky magic by drawing it from the sky into a physical form in the belief that they could control it through a complicated process.”
“Ah’m guessin’ it didn’t work out like they hoped” Observed Applejack.
Twilight nodded. “Of course. What they were trying was completely impossible and the process was imperfect. The sky magic reverted to an elemental form, in most cases lightning. When they tried to use the energies in the crystals...” she gave an awkward cough. “Let’s say they had to rebuild part of their castle.”
“They reached beyond themselves.” Paladin looked at the inert crystal. His jaw muscles tensed. “If reconstruction was the steepest price they paid for their arrogance, they were fortunate.”
With a start Rainbow Dash pulled back slightly from the glass case. “That’s lightning?!” she exclaimed. “Even a pegasus can’t survive much lightning.”
“That does sound positively dangerous. I do hope nopony does it anymore.” Rarity back away as well. Fluttershy nodded her agreement, not liking the thought of lightning in the slightest.
Twilight laughed. “Oh girls, this crystal and every other one are completely empty and have been for centuries. After the Windigoes the Unicorn tribe gave up the experiments.” She adopted a thoughtful expression. “Of course, in fairness the Apex Storm Crystal is still in the vaults.”
“Ape Cystral? That sounds like the best crystal ever! All ape-y with big hands!” Pinkie declared with a cheer.
“Apex!”
She pouted at Twilight. “Wait, what does apex mean? And how can be a crystal be apex-y? That’s silly.”
Grimacing, Twilight shook her head. “I wouldn’t say it’s the ‘best’. Certainly the biggest. It’s about Paladin’s size. Also, Pinkie, apex means-”
Pinkie cut her off, eyes growing as wide as plates as she gasped loudly. “Ohmigoshohmigoshohmigosh! I get it!” she squealed, bouncing in place. “Twilight, can we go see it? Can we can we can we?” Repetition was, after all, the key to convincing anypony.
“It’s sealed in the royal vaults with a lot of other, dangerous magical items.” Twilight told her simply.
“Pretty please with Pinkie on top?” Now Pinkie’s eyes grew wet as she turned a puppy pout on her friend.
“We can’t just go into the vaults on a whim! Why do you want to see it so badly?” Twilight asked the bouncing party pony with a curious – and slightly worried – expression.
“Because...” Pulling Twilight close, Pinkie made as if to whisper. “IT WON’T BE THERE!”
“Gah!” the unicorn rubbed her ears.
Bulwark chuckled, not affected in the slightest by the sudden burst in volume. It was like trying to hit fire with fire.
“What? What’s supposed to mean? Pinkie, it’s been down there for centuries, with so many wards over it would take somepony like Discord to get to- you didn’t steal it did you?!”
“Nopey-dopey!”
Twilight out a sigh she hadn’t realise she’d been holding and wiped away at her brow. “Oh, good. Um, right well yes. It’s been down there for centuries. It’s not about to go walk-about.”
“And that’s where you’re wrong! Because I know the truth!” Pinkie stamped a hoof, expression grave.
“The truth.” Twilight stated flatly.
“Yuh-huh.” Head practically bouncing Pinkie nodded eagerly.
“About....?”
Zipping over to Paladin’s side Pinkie reared up in a skilled impression of distant Braeburn and she threw her hooves wide around him. He looked at her with very slightly narrowed eyes but otherwise didn’t move.
“About Pally!”
At least, not to less discerning eyes. ‘How curious.' Bulwark thought with a glint in her eyes, noting the subtle tensing of muscles as though he was preparing for combat.
The rest of the group just sighed.
“It’s true! I worked it alllll out.” Pinkie told them, hopping from hoof to hoof excitedly.
“I am afraid I do not understand.” Cut in Paladin. He watched her warily. “What ‘truth’ could you know?” It was a bluff, he hoped. She had shown no previous signs of remembering what had happened in the Heart of the Nightmare, but she may have recalled on her own.
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes but nodded. “Alright Pinkie, lay it on us. What’s this ‘truth’ about Pally?”
Grinning, Pinkie ahem’d loudly as she had seen Twilight do once when giving a speech.
“The Apey-
“Apex!”
“- Storm Crystal is won’t be there....because Princess Celestia brought it to life as Paladin!” she beamed at them, possibly misinterpreting their slack-jawed expressions. “It makes complete sense! He can’t fly because of course a big ‘ole magic crystal doesn’t know how to fly, it’s why his wings are glowly white and it’s how he had all the lifey-ness that stopped us from getting soul-gobbled by the big meanie pants Nightmare!”
The very, very small sigh of relief and relaxing of silence went unnoticed by all but Bulwark. She caught Paladin’s eye and grinned conspiratorially.
He winced inwardly. ‘Damnation, she knew something was not right already. I do not desire my true nature...what was my true nature to be exposed.’
“Pinkie, that’s crazy-talk.” Applejack was saying. “Lookit ‘im, he’s as much a pony as me or-” she cut herself off and looked at Pinkie thoughtfully for a second before concluding with “- or you.”
With a flap of her wings Rainbow Dash circled Paladin, poking him in various places. “Yeah, see. I mean, he’s got about as much emotions as a big hunk of rock but he’s not one. Too squishy.”
“Why would the Princess even do that?” asked Twilight irritably. She rubbed her forehead, hoping to avoid another Pinkie-induced headache.
“Dunno.” Pinkie said with a shrug. “Oh, maybe she wanted a reason to a have birthday party! Since it would be the day he was born and what better day than that to have a birthday party? Wait...” she deflated slightly. “She had a birthday party and didn’t invite us!”
Rarity patted her on the shoulder. “Now dear, I’m certain the Princess would have invited you if she had done as you suggest. However, dare I say, she may not have made Paladin out of a magic crystal, hmm?”
This idea appeared to surprise Pinkie. “I don’t know. That seems a little far-fetched.”
The unicorn’s smile became a little more strained. “Really?”
“Um, you could just...ask?” Fluttershy offered quietly.
“And you could say something.” Bulwark pointed out to Paladin.
He shrugged. “I doubt much will sway her opinion if she truly believes so.”
Pinkie eyed him suspiciously. “Well okay, but I’m watching you mister!” one of her eyes seemed to expand. “But if you’re all so certain...”
“We are.” Twilight confirmed.
Sighing, the party pony shrugged. “Alright. I guess the Apple Strudel-”
“Apex Storm!”
“-Crystal is just a red herring.”
“How did you even GET apple strudel from Apex Storm?” Twilight continued, oblivious to Pinkie’s declaration. “I mean, I could get that you went from apex to ape to apple, but storm to strudel? They both start with ‘s’, yes, and have ‘t’ as the second letter, but the ‘r’ is the forth letter in storm and the third in stru-”
Paladin interrupted her with a polite cough. “I believe they are no longer listening.” He said, pointing further into the museum where the rest of the group had began to move.
Fuming, Twilight stomped after them ready to give Pinkie a piece of her considerable mind. In her wake Paladin sighed.
Bulwark smiled like she was enjoying a private joke. “Isn’t foalsitting fun?” she asked rhetorically.
To her surprise he actually answered. “I have had three weeks practice.” His tone was dry but not flat and stoic as she had already learned was his usual countenance. “At least none of them breathe fire.”
She watched him troop after them, stopping occasionally to inspect certain displays. Mostly, Bulwark noticed, concerning weapons or war. A light cough drew her attention to the unicorn now trotting beside her.
“Captain Bulwark-” Rarity began politely.
“Please, just call me Bulwark, none of that captain business now.” The large mare assured her.
Rarity nodded gratefully and continued. “Very well, Bulwark. You said you were Captain of the Pegasus Guard? I thought there was only the Royal Guard, which had pegasi within its numbers.
Bulwark chuckled, shaking her head. “Not exactly. There’s the Earth Guard made up of Earth Ponies, whose current Captain is Steel Bulker, the Pegasus Guard which I lead and the Unicorn Guard, which Shining Armour used to lead.”
“’Used to?’” asked Paladin, curious at a discussion of warriors. “Is he not still their leader?”
“No, he got promoted. You see, the Royal Guard is two things; broadly speaking it’s all three Guards as a whole as well as a select number drawn from their ranks who report directly to the Princesses and their Captain. The Captain of the Royal Guard is chosen from among the current three captains. Steel Buckler was the last Captain of the Royal Guard, but he wanted to retire. The Princess wasn’t entirely behind that idea.” Bulwark chuckled. “Didn’t realise it then, of course, but she was obviously worried about a change with Nightmare Moon’s return right around the corner. So she convinced him to stay on as Captain of the Earth Guard and train one of the others to replace him.”
“And he chose Shiny.” Twilight finished for her. She looked back at them over her shoulder. “Whoever was after Shiny in the Unicorn Guard became their captain in his place. I researched it a long time ago, when Shiny was still a cadet.”
“He certainly deserves the position.” Bulwark grinned at the unicorn. “You should have seen the look on his face when that old warhorse Steel told him he was going to be the next Captain of the Royal Guard. Looked damn close to bursting into song or something silly like that.”
Together, the group shared a laugh at the thought of Twilight’s brother singing. Well, nearly all of the group. Paladin stared stoically into the distance, brows furrowed. He had no idea why it was particularly funny.
***
Time passes quickly with friends, even in a museum, and before long they went for lunch. Bulwark spent the majority of the time talking to either Paladin or Fluttershy, drawing the taciturn stallion into conversations with surprising subtlety and discussing her recent life with her daughter and friends.
Rainbow Dash’s bad mood with Applejack had vanished quickly enough, though none of the others could work out what the problem was. Hiding her amusement, Rarity indulged in a mental cackle that would have done a witch of campfire stories justice.
She suppressed the thoughts of what she had planned for her rainbow-maned friend when Twilight nudged her and asked why she was giggling.
“Nothing of any concern darling, nothing at all.” She assured her confused friend.
As the last of their meal was cleared from their outdoors cafe table by a waiter, Twilight broached a topic she had been anxious to start working on.
“So, girls, do any of you have any idea what to do about Trixie?” she asked.
“Oh, oh! Me! Twilight! Pick me! Meee! Twilight!”
“Ideas which do not involve parties?” Twilight corrected herself without missing a beat.
Pinkie lowered her raised hoof and stopped bouncing in place. “Awww.”
“We could appeal to her ego.” Rarity suggested.
Rainbow Dash snorted derisively. “What, butter her up with compliments? No way!”
“You misunderstand me dear. We merely offer to convince Celestia to take Trixie as the court magician. Surely one such as Trixie would be unable to resist such a position.” The fashionista asserted with a flip of her mane.
Twilight nodded. “Sounds good, but let’s work out some other ideas in case it doesn’t work.”
“A paaaar-”
“Other than a party.”
“Awww.”
“Challenge her?” They looked at Applejack. She shrugged. “Seems like the sort willin’ to accept a challenge if she thinks she’ll win somethin’ out of it an’ prove she’s better than us. She wins, we let her go. We win, she lets the Princess do her magic thing.”
“What could we make the challenge over though?”
“Duh, something we know we’ll win.” Rainbow Dash answered with a roll of her eyes.
Frowning at her Fluttershy shook her head. “But Dash, that wouldn’t be fair at all.”
“....and? This is too important to give that arrogant showmare the chance to run out on us!”
“Havin’ a flashback to the Runnin’ of the Leaves RD?”
Rainbow Dash and Applejack began to bicker once again, prompting a sigh from the other mares.
A checklist appeared from nowhere, grasped in Twilight’s magical grip. A quill came with it, its tip dark with ink.
“Okay, we have two-”
“Twilight!” Pinkie whined loudly.
The unicorn sighed. “Fine. We have three plans so far. Bribe, challenge and... throwing Trixie a party.” The last Twilight muttered, rolling her eyes.
“Yay!” cheered Pinkie. She grinned at the mares nearest her. “I know which one I wanna try!”
They ignored Pinkie for the moment. Perhaps appreciating their need for a serious discussion, but most likely because she’s Pinkie Pie, Pinkie bounced over to Paladin’s seat. He had chosen to sit far away enough to be considered not quite part of the gathering yet close enough to still offer any advice he might decide could help.
“Let me tell you aaaaall about the party we’re going to throw for Trixie!” Taking a perilously deep breath, chest inflating like a balloon, Pinkie positioned her head right next to Paladin’s and began to talk. And talk. And talk.
He stared straight ahead, whether he was listening or just going catatonic could not be determined.
Bulwark sat back and watched, simply basking in her daughter’s presence. It was good to hear her little Fluttershy’s voice, and even Rainbow Dash’s too. She had gotten the sense both had changed in a few ways since meeting Twilight Sparkle through the letters from Fluttershy, for the better.
Just as the sun began to wane Bulwark realised how much time had passed. Getting to her hooves she tapped Fluttershy on the shoulder.
“Sorry Flutters, I need to be patrolling the southern wall soon.” She gave her daughter a hug and kiss on the forehead before snagging Rainbow Dash with a hoof and forcing the same on the struggling pegasus. “It was a pleasure to meet you all. I hope I’ll see you again around the palace. Good luck on your little schemes.”
With a chorus of goodbyes and farewells – and a loud raspberry from Rainbow Dash – Bulwark trotted off so her take off wouldn’t disturb them. A big pegasus like her displaced a lot of air. On the way, she patted Paladin on the shoulder. His blank expression barely shifted, although one ear moved from facing Pinkie to face Bulwark.
After the first ten minutes without Paladin either bursting into tears or collapsing into a brain dead pile it had been decided to leave Pinkie chattering cheerfully into his ear. She had long since left the subject of Trixie’s party behind, although particular parties and parties in general was still a major feature in her utterly endless talking.
“Have fun. And remember what I said last night.” Bulwark told him with a smile.
Glancing at her, Tyrael felt some of his mask bleed away to show irritation at her. He grunted wordlessly.
She took to the air and was out of sight in a few beats of her wings. Her wings, Tyrael noticed, were not as big as his despite the otherwise similar bodily proportions.
“-so I told Gummy ‘no, bad boy! Apple Bloom is not a chew toy!’ but he -”
With a sigh of resignation he turned his attention back to Pinkie.
***
“You are prepared?” Luna asked the ponies before her. She got a determined nod from Twilight in answer. “Very good! I shall allow you to enter on your own. I will await you here, should you require aid.”
With that she opened the door and stepped back. The girls entered, followed by Paladin.
“I wish to observe.” He told the princess simply. She nodded and made no move to stop him.
Trixie was glaring at them the moment they entered, focusing most of her attention on Twilight. Tyrael retreated to a shadowed corner to watch. He wanted to evaluate this mare himself. He is- was the aspect of justice and had sat in debate with his brothers in the Courts of Justice for longer than the mountain on which Canterlot sat had existed.
He should be of some use deciding the innocent from the guilty.
“What do you want?” Trixie snarled at them, her gaze not wavering from Twilight. “If you have returned to mock Trixie with your mime act, save it. She will not be tricked by such a tactic.”
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes but fought down the urge to say something. This had been impressed on her before, to let Twilight do the talking.
It was totally not because confronting Trixie would mean leaving the comforting presence of having her friends close around her. She glanced at the wall and shivered. Because it was cold, she assured herself, not because it was a solid wall hiding the sky beneath tons of stone under a massive, heavy castle-
Fluttershy swept a wing over her friend, feeling her shivering fiercely. She didn’t look away from Trixie but held Rainbow Dash close to her side.
“Hello again Trixie.” Twilight greeted her with more warmth than she was feeling. “I know we might have got off on the wrong hoof before-”
“You upstaged m- Trixie!” accused the captive unicorn.
‘Because an Ursa Minor was destroying the town!’ “Trixie, I didn’t want to upstage you. If I had, don’t you think I would have done it while you were humiliating my friends?” Unable to resist, Twilight pointed out.
Trixie ‘hmmph’d’. “They were heckling Trixie! She gave them what they deserved.”
Giving the three ‘hecklers’ a warning look Twilight bit back her own fiery retort. “Well, yes, but you did go too far. Responding to hecklers with your show would have been a valid response. You went out of your way to embarrass them!”
“Er, Twi’, ain’t we meant ta be-” Applejack whispered to her.
“Trixie merely proved what she could do using three convenient rubes!” spat Trixie.
“Rube?!” Any Diamond Dogs in earshot would have felt like they had been shot in the ear by Rarity’s shriek. “How dare you?! My works of art are worn by notables from Canterlot to Manehatten! I, you arrogant third-rate showfilly, am no rube!”
Rarity delivered the blistering tirade as she stamped closer to the cell with a deadly expression.
“Okay, Rarity, let’s just back up a bit....” Twilight pulled her friend back.
Trixie had no one to hold her back, although being in a cell she might have thought things through a bit more. “What else would Trixie call somepony from a country bumpkin town like Ponyville? She has seen a hundred country towns and even your little hick town makes them seem sophisticated!”
“How dare you?!”
“Trixie dares whatever she wishes! Magic like mine was simply too much for the hick ponies in your backwater little hole!”
The fact Applejack had held back this long was impressive to say the least. “Y’all did not just say that! Why, there ain’t no finer folk than the ones y’all’d find in Ponyville!”
Twilight groaned, facehoofing as Trixie shouted back. Somehow, things were just not going to plan.
From his corner Tyrael watched.
Eventually, when the shouting didn’t abate, he facehoofed too.
***
“That went... less than well.” Twilight muttered as they filed out of the room. It was getting late and her ear-drums could not take much more shouting. It seemed whenever she got things calmed down Trixie would antagonise one of them until the room shook with their combined volume.
“Considerably.” agreed Paladin. Unlike Twilight he didn’t direct a glare the main offenders, Rarity and Applejack.
Luna frowned. She had checked on them, after Rarity had been given a ‘time out’, but left the matters in their hooves.
“Tho- You were unsuccessful?” she asked, already expecting their answer.
They had been very loud.
Twilight nodded unhappily. “I’m so sorry, your Highness. Some of us kind of...lost their tempers.”
“Talking that way about Ponyville! Why I oughta...” Looking away, Applejack trailed off unhappily.
“Twilight, she was an utter cow! I could simply not let her insults go without correcting her.” Rarity told her, although it was apparent she was beginning to regret her actions. She admitted to herself that she may have gotten a tad too upset at being called a rube.
Sighing again, any complaints Twilight might leverage against them were overridden by a gentle cough from Fluttershy. She discreetly indicated Rainbow Dash, who had yet to move out from under her fellow pegasus’ wing. Though she was attempting to look confident and in-control it was easy for all to see the continued stay in such an enclosed environment was doing her mental state no good.
Sweat-dabbed Rainbow’s sides but she had stubbornly refused any suggestions from Fluttershy to go out for some air. She was Loyalty. Running away just because the imprisoning, ominous feeling of entrapment was making her knees shake like some scared little filly was in no way loyal in Dash’s book.
The state of the Element of Loyalty’s bearer did not go unnoticed by Luna. “Please, worry not. Return to your rooms and rest. We shall try again tomorrow. With a little more care, perhaps.”
As the door swung shut, none noticed the shadow slipping through it. Thin as paper yet very real, the door’s edge missed it by only a fraction of an inch.
***
“Perfect.”
Trixie looked up from the floor, glaring around the seemingly empty room. “What was that? Who’s there?” she snarled angrily. Her irate expression quickly faded, replaced by confusion. “...hello?” ‘I...I must have imagined it. Being locked in here is doing nothing for me. It’s better than....than...’
Frowning, she fell back on her haunches, rubbing her forehead. ‘It was...oh, I could have sworn I was just thinking...ow.’ Trixie let out a low moan as her skull throbbed. Ever since finding herself here, in the custody of the Royal Pony Sisters, her head would start aching and her thoughts got all...fuzzy....
Her eyes snapped open as realisation flooded her mind. She had been refusing the Princess of all ponies!
“...Princess Celestia?!” she nearly screamed. “How could I...why didn’t I let her....” a sharp pain, like a knife in her brain, cut off the tirade.
Laughter echoed through the room. “Ah, such a foal. Because I made sure you wouldn’t, pet.”
Trixie swept her gaze across the room again, eyes darting madly. “W-who is that? Come out! The G-Great and Powerful T-Trixie demands it!” she called, mustering her confidence.
“Tut tut, I thought I made it clear to which one of us makes the demands. I suppose I can’t really blame a poor, stupid foal like you. It’s not your idiocy which is at fault this time. Yes, just this once I think.”
Before Trixie could reply a shadow took shape. A long, gangly limbed creature cloaked in darkness stood in front of the door. Long, fur clad arms drooped nearly to its knee. Only its arms were visible in the scant light left to Trixie.
On one arm danced a twisting vine of living shadow. Only now did Trixie realised the voice had not been echoing in the room. It had been in her thoughts.
“Its okay Trixie.” The sibilant whisper-thought hissed in her mind. “He’s my...friend.” Sinister laughter rang mockingly through the frightened unicorn’s thoughts, twisting between them and paralysing her to inaction. The living shadow spread through the air, branching into score of dark spears until they surrounded Trixie from every direction. The cell may as well have not existed.
She wanted to draw away from the shadows that rose through the air like serpents, but the dark whisper-thought she was hearing without her ears triggered something deep inside. Some part of Trixie was screaming to just do what it said. To let it go ahead without argument and hope it would end soon.
But Trixie was nothing if not stubborn and strong-willed, or rather, proud and spiteful, which served about the same purpose.
“W-who d-dares” she was stuttering like she hadn’t in the long years since her first performance and she hated it. Trixie took a deep breath and drew herself up. “Who dares order the Great and Powerful Trixie!” she managed to choke out without stuttering. Yet still her body shook and nothing she could do would stop it.
“Don’t worry, my little pony. I’ll help you remember.”
With that the shadows struck, lancing from every direction to pierce the unicorn’s body.
Trixie wanted to scream, to call for help, but her body no longer did what she told it.
As darkness swallowed Trixie, the furred courier spoke. Too far gone, Trixie neither heard its words nor saw it step back and faded into nothing but a shadow.
***
“That is...disheartening.”
Luna nodded at her sister’s reply. She had just finished telling her what had happened between the Bearers and Trixie. Already she regretted bringing her sister bad news after a day of enduring meetings and listening to petitions. In many ways Luna was glad she had yet to open her Night Court. It was a selfish little pleasure, one she hoped to rid herself of soon and take some of Celestia’s burden away.
The solar alicorn sighed. Standing, she nuzzled Luna’s neck. “I am sure Twilight Sparkle and her friends will manage something. I have the utmost faith in them. You said Tyrael accompanied them?”
Returning the affectionate gesture Luna nodded once more. Sometimes it felt like they were trying to catch up on a thousand years’ worth of sisterly affection. “Indeed, he seems drawn to remain near them.”
“Hmm.” Celestia’s expression turned thoughtful. “I imagine he may be drawn to those his power saved. Like calls to like, and nothing in Equestria is like him.” She smiled wickedly. “That or he’s realised weird things happen around them.”
Rolling her eyes at her sister’s sudden childishness Luna stood back up. “Yes, strange things do occur around them. The Elements come with a heavy burden.”
“Indeed they do. Which is why it pleases me that their Bearers are such fine examples of ponykind.” Standing as well, Celestia stretched her legs. “I believe I shall give young Trixie another chance.”
“As you do every night.” observed Luna. She sighed regretfully. “I remember when we could order beheadings. Vagabond ponies certainly did not refuse us then!”
Celestia laughed, although she hoped Luna was not airing these thoughts where others might hear. “Technically, we still can. But times change little sister. Just as our language evolves over a thousand years so do our little ponies and their sensibilities. The world has become a far brighter place since then.”
“Thanks to you.” A note of sadness crept into Luna’s voice. She looked away but Celestia could already tell the emotions that would be playing across her sister’s features. The loss of a thousand years was a hard one, and to see how much kinder the world had become in one’s absence could be...unsettling.
More than once Luna had wondered how much better the world would be if she had not given in to madness, if she had not let whispers in the darkness drive her to war. If but one alicorn could produce such a splendid land, what could two have accomplished?
Or, in her darker moments, she wondered how much worse it would have been if she had been involved. How she might have screwed up and failed her sister’s expectations.
A white hoof gently pulled Luna’s head back to face Celestia. “Do not think about the past, Luna. Think of the future.” She smiled. “I have spent a thousand years looking forward to this future. I have never been happier.”
“...thank you.”
Minutes later, Celestia opened the door to Trixie’s cell. The unicorn was just as she had always been, although now something seemed...different. She was unable to quite put her hoof on it. Dismissing the concern as a result from Twilight’s less than effective first try, she approached the cell with a motherly smile on her face.
Barely had she taken a breath to begin before Trixie cut her off.
“Trixie accepts your offer!”
It took Celestia a moment to realise the unicorn had actually done something other than refuse while making irrational excuses. The only sign of surprise was a single blink.
“...oh.” her smile came back, nearly as radiant as the sun. She made a conscious effort to prevent that. No point blinding the nervous unicorn. “I am very pleased to hear that. May I ask, did my faithful student and her friends help you come to this decision.”
Somewhat reluctantly Trixie nodded her head. She was gazing at the floor, her expression ashamed. “I...I...I just want to leave. They reminded me that there’s a world waiting out there. Can you please...look, so I can go?”
Too relieved that she could finally stop imprisoning one of her subjects Celestia failed to notice the extreme change in the unicorn’s attitude. She had long tried to maintain a confidence that her little ponies would do the right thing when push came to shove. It was all too easy for her to believe the best of Trixie.
“Very well then. Just bring your horn to the bars. I will touch it with mine and cast the spell.”
Nodding, Trixie did as she was told. Leaning down, Celestia lightly lay her far longer horn‘s tip against Trixie’s.
“Now, this won’t hurt a bit.” She murmured as her horn light up. Her eyes closed as their minds began to touch, doors opening between the two.
“Actually, it’s going to hurt. A lot.”
Celestia’s eyes snapped open. She stared down the length of her horn into a pair of malevolent black pits.
The Nightmare made Trixie grin gloatingly.
“Gotcha.”
***
“Wake up! Everypony!”
Shouts filled and the ringing of bells filled the castle, rousing ponies from their slumber.
“What the hay is goin’ on?!” growled Applejack, bursting into the hall. Rainbow Dash came quickly in her wake. Only Paladin was out before them, and he did not bother wondering why the pegasus had been in her room.
“Alarms,” Was all Paladin said, as though that fact was not already evident. He was tense, muscles tight and ready to jump at the slightest threat. His eyes swept the hall in search of any sign of danger.
“Thanks.” Rainbow Dash grunted, rubbing her eyes. “I was nearly asleep!”
Twilight virtually erupted from her room. “What’s going on?”
“WOW, A SURPRISE PARTY!” Pinkie leapt out from...somewhere... and bounced rapidly. “What else could it be?”
Distantly, a magically amplified voice was heard shouting “All ponies to arms!”
“It could be a Guardspony Drill Party!” she insisted.
“This is not a drill! Repeat, this is not a drill!”
Pinkie frowned, rubbing her chin. “...a...fake-drill drill... party? Ok, I got nothin’.” She admitted with a shrug.
“Does anypony know what is going on?” Twilight asked again as Rarity and Fluttershy joined them.
They all looked back at her helplessly.
“Trixie Lulamoon is gone.” A familiar male voice informed them. Clad in his full set of armour, Shining Armour strode over to him
“Gone?” Twilight gasped. “How could she be gone? Those spells were cast by the Princesses! Both of them! Not even I could dispel them from the inside and Princess Celestia taught me nearly everything I know!”
“No way that hack can do it if Twi’ couldn’t!” agreed the suddenly fully-awake Rainbow Dash. Even in a now-tense situation, Fluttershy noticed the way she was eyeing the walls fearfully and sticking close to Applejack. “I knew she was guilty of something! Why else would she run? We have to find her.”
Shining held up a hoof. “That’s not all. She’s gotten into the royal vaults.”
If Twilight had been alarmed before now, she was reaching critical levels. “What?! No, that is just. Not. Possible! It would take Discord to get into the vaults, I refuse to accept that Trixie could not only break out of her cell, but also get through the wards.”
“I know exactly how you feel Twily, but Princes Luna has confirmed it. She’s waiting for you, all of you, right now at the entrance along with half the Royal Guard.” Shining’s eyes hardened. “Regardless of how she got in, she’s not getting away.”
“Let’s go- wait, what about Princess Celestia?” nearly charging off in a moment of Rainbow Dash-ness, Twilight back-pedalled to frown at her brother. “Isn’t she helping?”
“...” Shining Armour looked away. “Princess Luna will explain.” He cut off Twiligth’s immediate question. “That’s a royal command. She’ll tell you, so come on.”
Looking back uncertainly at her friends, Twilight made sure to get a nod from them all. Never Fluttershy managed a shaky nod of agreement.
While they talked, Paladin had moved past them in the direction Twilight had nearly gone. “Time is likely of the essence.” He reminded them.
Waiting only for Twilight to retrieve the Elements of Harmony from her room the seven ponies, led by the brother-sister unicorns, galloped into the depths of the castle.
Every step of the way, down countless stairs, Rainbow Dash began to sweat.
Tyrael, as his hooves bounced off carpet and stone, cursed his own failure. Somehow he knew what he thought he had seen the night before and this were connected.
At some point, Rainbow Dash was not entirely sure when, Fluttershy had began to run at her side. Being hemmed in one each side by her friends was reassuring and along with the knowledge that bad things were definitely going down she was able to stave off any panic attacks for the moment.
At last, after minutes of flat-out running, they began to descend into what were truly the depths of the castle. The stone around them grew darker until the carefully placed blocks were replaced by the chiselled bedrock. Large, heavy doors were already open for them to keep going and the occasional guards flanking them moved aside so as not to hinder them.
“We’re in the guts of the mountain now.” Twilight told her friends, huffing. “That’s why...taking us....so long...to reach...”
Much more used to strenuous physical activity, Applejack’s reply was much less breathless. “Twi’, maybe not right now.” She growled with a jerk of her head towards Rainbow Dash.
“I-I’m f-fine.” The pegasus mumbled. Applejack knew better than to think she might already be out of breath. The fact she labelled the response a mumble and not a whimper was more a concession to her friend’s vanity than anything else.
“We’re nearly there.” Shining said, not showing any sign of tiring. Paladin was the same, seemingly an endless engine of stamina.
Less than a minute later they turned a corner into a chamber with a ceiling at least three stories tall and just as wide. Princess Luna, her expression as dark, stood before a circular door of dull metal twice her size. Runes glinted with power across its surface and to Twilight’s sight the very metal was alive with magical energy.
“Twilight Sparkle! Thou hast come bearing the Elements of Harmony?” The Royal Canterlot Voice thundered. Twilight experienced a moment of worry about the volume considering they were underground. Then again, with the power of the wards around them she was sure it would be...
...but she prepared a spell to block falling rubble just in case.
“Yes! I have them right here.” The box containing the Elements levitated up to Luna. She gently pushed it back.
A soft bubble the colour of Luna’s magic encased the group, and the sounds of the preparing Guard died out.
“Take them and prepare, Twilight Sparkle! This fiend hast dared to lay mine sister low!” Luna commanded. The girls gasped and Shining Armour’s expression twitched slightly. If anything Paladin’s expression became even stonier.
“Wha-what?” nearly falling to her haunches, Twilight stared up at the enraged alicorn uncomprehending.
“The wretched foal laid her low, however temporary.” Luna snarled, voice shaking with anger. “We know not how this was done, but our sister lies unconscious and weakened.”
“How could- Trixie couldn’t possibly- this doesn’t make any sense!” hyperventilating, Twilight clutched her head in her hooves. “Chrysalis could only stun the Princess in a psychic attack because she had Shining’s love and changlings are naturally psionic. Discord is DISCORD. Trixie is...Trixie is just some unicorn!” she was shaking as she spoke, but did not care. A foundation of her world-view was being rocked.
The others were in little better state, appalled and confused by how this could happen.
Shining Armour, on the other hoof, looked angry. He had already known, Tyrael surmised. As a warrior he had moved from denying the truth and fearing its meaning to channel his emotions into something less likely to cause hesitation; anger.
A dark emotion, but one seen even in angels. Archangels were not above its black grasp either, as Imperius had demonstrated, and even Tyrael had grown angry.
“Do not let your anger influence you.” He murmured quietly; just close enough that only Shining Amour would hear. “Anger is useful, but to let it control your actions is to invite darkness into your heart.”
For a moment the captain did nothing, staring straight ahead. Finally he nodded, a slight movement easily missed unless you were looking for it. While he did not relax precisely his manner changed slightly to one of less anger. “Thank you.”
Tyrael just nodded back, turning his attention the girls. To their credit they were pulling themselves together despite the disheartening news.
“Ah don’t care how she did it.” Applejack grunted, stamping her hoof. “That no good filly is gonna get a face fulla hoof an’ more besides.”
Pinkie was attempting to bounce angrily. “Trixie is being a super-ultra-mega meanie-pants! I never thought the day would come, but I’m not going to ever throw her a party!” she sniffed sadly. “And my list of ‘Never-Ever-Ever-Ever-Ever Gonna Get A Pinkie Party’ was empty until now.” she looked on the edge of bursting into tears for all of two seconds before, quite literally, bouncing back. “Oh well!”
“Thou art all prepared?” Luna asked, her eyes turning to the vault door. “The burden will be upon ye. The wards around the vault art a trap forged by mine sister. An alicorn of sufficient power can open them but the effort will be exhausting.”
Settling the Element of Magic on her head, Twilight frowned. “I thought the wards were strong enough to keep even the Princess herself out.”
Luna nodded. “Their strength is not in question. The flaw was intentional on mine sister’s part. Should thee fail to defeat Nightmare Moon she would have fled into the vaults after ensuring we- that Nightmare Moon knew what it was. In ou- her arrogance, the Nightmare would surely believe she had the might to get through the wards and defeat Celestia. Mine sister’s magic is the only one which can open this gate without combating the wards.”
“Wait, why would she try and get in? Why not just leave the Princess in there?” asked Dash, confused. “Seems like a good plan to me.”
Instead of Luna, Twilight answered. “Because of what’s in there!” she exclaimed, realising the nature of the trap now. “Make sure Nightmare Moon knew she was holed up with a bunch of powerful – and dangerous – artefacts. It’s a choice of risking her getting through wards that might be able to weaken her or leave Celestia in there until the Princess is desperate enough to use something she might otherwise hesitate over.”
“A desperation ploy.” Paladin added. He frowned, “A risky one at that. The damage that could be wrought while she was in there...”
A guard tapped the bubble, saluting the Princess. “ ” he said, not a sound reaching them.
“Say nothing of mine sister’s state.” Luna warned the ponies before cancelling her sound-quitting spell. “Yes?” she asked, clearly impatient to begin.
The guard bowed. “The Unicorn Guard has assembled, your highness, and the Earth Guard will be ready any mo-”
A powerfully built Earth Pony in plate armour, his coat iron-grey and tail silver came to a stop next to the guard, bowing. “-is fully prepared, your highness!”
Luna gave him a regal nod. “Excellent. Steel Buckler, return to the fore. We shalt bring down the wards in moments. Captain Shining Armour will accompany the Elements into the vault. We leave thee to command the Royal Guard.”
Steel Buckler accepted the order calmly, nodding at Shining as he left.
“Steel Buckler was the last Captain of the Royal Guard.” Shining muttered quietly. “There’s no pony better to have with us.” He raised his voice a bit, keeping it quiet enough to ensure none of his comrades would hear. “Are you sure you don’t want Captain Bulwark with us as well, your highness?
“When ye were chosen to be the next Captain of the Royal Guard, there was great reason for that.” Luna replied without taking her gaze from the vault entrance. “We have the utmost faith in thy abilities. Captain Bulwark must ensure that should our foe teleport to freedom she will not leave the castle grounds untouched.”
Shining Armour nodded, sighing. He closed his eyes, focusing his magic. His sister might be the magic prodigy but he was amongst the strongest unicorns in the Guards and his knowledge of battle magic was far superior to that of Twilight’s. Not for nothing, he felt somewhat indebted to Princess Celestia for purposefully keeping his little sister away from the more violent aspects of magic.
Not that telekinesis capable of carrying an Ursa Minor was something to ignore. It could make a very big mess if nothing else.
Luna’s voice suddenly boomed through the wide room. Wide enough, Tyrael wondered, for two alicorns to battle freely?
“Guardsponies of Canterlot! Prepare to apprehend the one who dares to intrude on our domain! Captain Shining Armour and the Elements of Harmony will lead the way. With them is our personal agent, Sir Paladin. All are to be obeyed as if they were speaking with our voice!” The very stone trembled with the force of her voice. “I begin the unsealing!”
Her horn began to burn with power, the light of alicorn magic filling the room. The door glowed as the wave of power washed over it. The runes began to flare into ever greater life, arcane waves coming to life and leeching away at the magic striking them. To Twilight’s mage-sight it was a constant battle between the spells Princess Luna was firing into the gate’s shifting defences. A spell to absorb attacking magic and empower other protective charms burned away, it’s placed taken by a fifth layer back-up within an instant. Each time one enchantment was removed or erased another took its place only to be destroyed a second later.
For exactly three minutes and forty seconds, by Twilight’s count, the Princess warred with the ward. At last the final rune’s light winked out of existence and the door began to open, rolling away with a great grinding noise that nearly covered the sound of Luna collapsing to the floor.
“We art fine.” She gasped. “Go, vanquish the deceiver! This thy Princess commands!”
Shining Armour took the lead, glancing over his shoulder to shout in the voice his drill instructor once used with him. “Twilight, move!”
By the time he looked back to door before him, Paladin had already overtaken the unicorn knight. The Elements glowing with their Bearer’s determination they raced behind them. The grinding of metal on stone continued to fill the hall, the first metal plate rolling away to reveal another moving away behind it. Behind that yet another, all bearing the runes that anchored the powerful wards.
The thirteen was the last, in its place a simple hall of the same hoof-carved stone. Each few feet an alcove had been dug into the wall, an arch of glittering spell runes lining it. At the end of the hall lay another gate like the one they had just passed through but half the size and made from a silver metal.
There was a distinct lack of Trixie.
They came to a stop, with the Royal Guard scrambling not to ram into them.
“She is not here.” Paladin noted, sweeping over the hall. It was a hundred feet long, only his strong vision allowing him to accurately note the details of the door at the other end.
Twilight, doing much the same, noticed something of immediate concern. She took off at a gallop to one of the alcoves. The runes around it were dull and lifeless, shards of glass scattered on the floor around a flat table.
“I...I recognise this spot!” she stammered. “It’s gone! She took it-the magic from her teleportation spell is still in the air. No no no, she can’t have!”
Shining Armour rounded on the guards behind him the moment he heard his sister’s words. “To the surface! I want everypony searching the palace, the city, the entire mountain!”
“Twilight? Um, are you okay?” coming up to her friend, Fluttershy peered at the panicking unicorn uncertainly. “I-I’m sure we’ll find her.”
Twilight’s horn was already alight. “I know we’ll find her. There’s no way we can leave it in her hooves.” Her magic throbbed around her horn, touching the remnants of the teleportation spell. It was a powerful one, to leave a mark another unicorn could detect, and the spells of protection and preservation all around her certainly helped.
“What was stolen?” Tyrael looked up from the place the lost artefact had been, focusing on the unicorn. “A weapon?”
“That varmint stole some danger-magic doohickie as well? She’s just lookin’ for a right buck in the face.” snarled Applack.
“Y-yeah! We gotta find her!” Rainbow Dash agreed. Her gaze was darting between the walls and the way out. “Um, I’ll just go help them look...does anypony else want to come with me? Just, y’know, for the walk back?”
Ignoring them Tyrael kept his focus on Twilight. “What was stolen?” he repeated the question.
“The Apex Storm Crystal. It has enough power to raze a city....” a gasp burst from Twilight’s lips as she finished analysing the teleportation. “...and...”
“And what? Darling, what is it?” Rarity asked, noting the paling beneath Twilight’s coat.
“She’s teleported south-west with enough power to reach Ponyville!”
***
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DUN DUN DUUUN !
1210496 Thank you!
Fucking Trixie, now she pissed off an archangel...
Dat cover art.
Seriously, wtf, always ponyville, with amount of disasters there you would think that place would be abandoned. Oh well.
1210559 Well, it would be a bit silly if the Mane 6 had to travel all the time to reach wherever something is happening. Plus, far as the Mane 6 is concerned Trixie has a grudge against them and their town. And other than the occasional oddness, it seems to be a town in proximity to the capital city, on good farm land and unique (in a good way) properties. Plus, it was probably less full of weirdness before Twilight moved there and the locals aren't likely to just give up on all the bonds they've formed with the others living there by moving away. It makes sense for the story to focus around the place where the overwhelming majority of main characters live.
At one point (I can't remember where off-hand) you put subtly instead of subtlety.
Great story, I like Barricade.
Wait, what? Did the narrative almost make a mistake there?
Hmm, not bad.
Do continue :)
1210643 No, its just at time I do that to emphasise that Tyrael is unsure who he is at the moment. A remnant of Tyrael, or is he now just a pony, just Paladin? Normally, of course, I keep those to spots which are obviously from his point of view, so that tone was perhaps ill-timed. I've done it often in previous chapters, you might notice. But yes, it was perhaps not well placed.
“I wasn’t gonna beat her up Twi’. I was gonna lock Pinkie in the room with her until she caved.”
I say they do this after they beat her up XD.
Sorry couldn't resist my liege!
==========
"Somepony kill me" - Shush RD don't give a certain pink pastry partaking pony any ideas now.
========
Boss Fight number 2 is a go!
1210678 I'll be honest, I've not read Cupcakes or any of those particularly gruesome grimdark fics (also: I play Warhammer Fantasy/40K, I used grimdark before it was cool!). I mean, I know what they're about and the general details but ugh, no thanks. I like to not assume that the happiest pony is a raging murderer, thanks all the same. Pinkie is awesome the way she is.
They're not quite onto the boss yet, they still need to clear all the trash (to use WoW talk). But the action starts now!
I just realised the irony of that, considering Ponyslayer.
I hope this does not end in AppleDash...
But in any event:
[youtube=GhMvKv4GX5U]
1210704 Shipping isn't my intention. I merely enjoy writing Rainbow Dash interacting with Applejack, and she seemed like the one I could get the most amusement out of from that scene at the start. Because really, that's why that scene is in there: it amuses me.
That said, I've nothing against that pairing and enjoy reading it. But its not part of this story, its just a friend seeking help from a friend she knows if solid and reliable.
1210689
Don't think to much about it, its just that I just felt that I had to make a Cupcakes joke. Truth be told, I hate that monstrosity of a fic myself, I just find the need to belittle it in whatever way I can XD.
And clear out the trash...? So The great and powerful Nightmare is gonna be summoning some goons then?
1210712
It amuses me too. I don't have a problem with what's there, I just frown upon shipping within the mane six.
1210714 Ah ah ah, spoilers.
In completely unrelated news: Mwuahahaha-MWUAHAHAHAHAHA!
*ahem*
1210719 It really depends for me, mostly with how well its done and if its actually part of the plot. I can accept nearly anything, so long as its done properly and makes sense for that story. It is fan fiction after all. If its got nothing to do with the plot and detracts from the dramatic or serious parts I would have a problem with it. I mean, in one chapter of another story of mine, My Little Skaven, Fluttershy has an out of hand thought about remembering waking up in Pinkie's bed with her mouth tasting like cotton candy but that's mostly a vaguely comedic story and just a gag meant to amuse me and readers.
Huh, wrote more than I intended. Anyway, there's unlikely to be any sort of thing in any serious way ever in Justice Itself mostly because I can't actually write romance. Well, never tried but doubt I could. Not willing to damage Justice Itself by putting my first attempt in it.
1210724
I'm sorry my liege, I would try to do better next time and not spoil your future endeavors.
1210747
Aye, I can appreciate it if it's done well, but most of the time it's just garbage. Probably because it is the most popular kind of shipping, and its more likely that authors with poor talent will pick it up. It might just be me, but often I find that some fics I've read have actually stained my opinion of particular characters. I think my ideas of what is canon vs what is fanon are spilling over into each other.
Regardless, loving the story. Keep it up!
1210773 (Do you reply first, because the rest will get in the way)
Yeah, I can see what you mean. To be fair, as far as canon is concerned there's no romance at all. That means fans have to make it themselves in fanfiction, which is okay so long as they don't insist its canon.
1210750
You are forgiven. Now, go forth and hunt mine enemies!
....and fetch me a chicken sandwich..... (read the following in the voice of Bill Bailey, hilarious comedian).
.....from the Pantry Of Doom! In the Kitchen of Eternal Torment, down the Hall of Suffering, past the Shelves of Pain, under the Ale Barrels of Particular Ache In Your Head, around the Corner of Vaguely Ominousness, through the Trapdoor of Occasional Annoyance and in the Sandwich Basement of Infrequent Irritation! You will have to face the Cooks of Eternity, the Pastry Chef of Anguish and his five Apprentices of Mild Rudeness! The Unkempt Monks will bar your path with robes not cleaned in days and over-grown hair and their dirty, dirty fingernails, with the Unpleasantly Snobby Serving Wenches presenting the final barrier as they sneer and make unpleasant comments about your attire!
All of this in the Castle of Rather Pretentious Metaphysical Deliberations.
...I, um, I'm not sure where that came from. I blame it not having blamed any DnD or Shadowrun in the past month to expel my built-up bizarre-ness. That and I've been rewatching all my many Bill Bailey DVDs today since I just got tickets to his show in two weeks.
1210787
I've never seen any insist that it's canon, the two major elements that tick me off are the boring content and obviously forced pairings.
1210805 Boring content and forced anything are ALWAYS bad, regardless of what they concern. Let us relax into our certainty that we know better than some of the fools out there, while sipping brandy and reclining in the depths of knowledge...mwuahaha-MWUAHAHAHA!
*Ahem* Got a bit away from me there.
1210808
Good point, friend. Alas, there is little we can do aside from turn a blind eye.
...Or provide constructive criticism.
1210821 Ah, this is the sort of conversation that I like to think of after having to deal with an idiot on WoW or something. A reasonable, calm discussion about an issue. I salute you, sir and/or madam.
Constructive criticism all the way.
1210825
Weird, I was thinking the same thing. Well, same feeling, different issue.
1210833
I'd say the great minds line, but so very cliche. Besides, I think truly great minds don't think alike, they think in new and exciting ways, that's what makes them great!
Wow, looking up we've just about doubled the comments on this chapter ourselves, heh.
1210856
Is that good or bad?
"The pegasus scoffed. “I wasn’t gonna beat her up Twi’. I was gonna lock Pinkie in the room with her until she caved.” Rainbow Dash said with a smug smirk.
Everypony looked at Pinkie, who smiled and waved."
Whoa...
*Clutches Heart*
A legitimately funny line in a Pony-Fic...
*Clutches Heart again*
It's been EONS since I last saw something like that...
1210871
A bit of both, really. I've had (am having) an interesting conversation but it means I'll have to scroll down more when I get more comments, because getting comments from as many readers are possible makes me happy.
1210879
We'd better bring this to a close then. I need to do this more often.
Have a good night/day.
-Sparklight
1210787
...
Uh... Yes my liege ... ? *squack*
Oh man. Finale of Act II incoming?
Also, I EAGERLY yearn for the moment when Tyrael's fellow angel comes to help him. And for when he either regains his form, or something intervenes to revitalize him. TWO MORE ACTS ATOEDIUGODG.
Yeah, keep up the good work. I wanna see Tyrael kick some serious ass, despite being handicapped......but he's gotta work for it! Warrior for eternity or no, the story should show how he works with handicaps!....again I guess, now that I think about the finale of Act I.
I also haven't commented in ages. Hi!
(I could have edited my post, but you're a self proclaimed comment-whore, so this way is better, isn't it?
)
Earth Ponies, whose current Catpain is Steel Boulder
Anyway, great chapter as usual. Keep up the good work.
1210559
I know. That place is like the New York City or Metropolis of the Pony-verse...
All it's missing are a few alien invasions/invasions from Eldritch horrors from other dimensions...
1211098 You jinxed them!
1210499
So will these sort of things happen. Either 1 Tyrael regains his angelic powers 2 use the apex crystal to regain his powers and 3 judge Trixie (hopefully innocent else -_-) and u know kill the nightmare
1211291 See the next comment I make after the one you linked to. 1210724
Not much fun if I just tell you, is there? Not for me at any rate.
1210499
NUD NUUUUD NUUUUUUUUUUUUUUD.
Oops :C.
Oh snap, shit is going down.
twi: Oh SHI- BOOM
do you like my present Twilight Sparkle? 
*twilight teleports to ponyville*
Twi:...
Trixie:
files.sharenator.com/for_the_love_of_god_MOAR_Weird_Video_Game_Facts_Part_8-s450x516-138604-580.png
Yeah, that's my kneejerk response to reading this chapter. My only complaint was that introducing the crystal, even using Pinkie to make it seem the theft wasn't going to happen, seems a bit contrived.
Otherwise, a very good chapter. I especially like Barricade's part here. In inferior works of fiction, an entity hidden among the pony populous usually gets discovered immediately or not at all. Here we have Barricade slowly discovering pieces about Paladin/Tyrael, including an odd fascination with weapons and armor and confirming he has a secret to hide. I eagerly await for more.
1210787
My Shield of Casual Indifference shall protect me from these horrors!
Moving on, I guessing that the Nightmare actually knows how to use sky magic? Either that or it's planning to use the Apex Storm Crystal as a really big bomb to blow up the gates of Tartarus.
Only correction:
"A long, gangly limped creature"
Methinks you meant limbed here.
Even the chipmunk thinks its dramatic!
epic chapter is epic
Dude. This fic is epic beyond comparison. And if you manage to get Diabo in equestria... All hell will break loose
They're gonna fucking nuke Ponyville. Fuck. That. Not on my watch
Congrats on surviving past the 10,000 word mark
WOW!
This chapter was FUCKING INCREDIBLE!! I can honestly say that this is one of the best fics I have ever read (and I've read ones with alot more popularity). Definitely earned the number 2 spot in my top favs. 
Truly outstanding and I can't wait to see how you follow up the EPIC cliffhanger!! 