Rhythm and Rhyme

by MyHobby

The Tales of the Soulless

Tragedy strikes our small town once again. Amber Waves, a local weaver, was found dead in the Everfree Forest last night, having ingested a poisonous plant mixture. The poison appears to be self-inflicted. She is survived by her husband Kiln Stovepipe and her daughter Ember. This is the second pony to lose their lives to the forest this month, the other having been Merry Mare’s and Poni Caballeron’s young son, Happy. Mayor Filibuster is urging everypony to stay indoors at night and to remain as far away from the outskirts of the forest as possible.

—Excerpt from the Ponyville Daily, circa 992 CE (eight years before the return of Nightmare Moon), from Merry Mare’s private collection. No unaltered copies can be found in the newspaper archives.

***

Twilight Velvet sat across the table from Merry Mare, onetime Mayor of Ponyville. Merry tapped her hoof against a manila folder she’d brought along, her eyes darting around the throne room. She sat in Fluttershy’s throne, a place she’d migrated to when Twilight Sparkle had asked her to take a seat.

She held herself in the throne well enough, but it was fairly obvious to the trained eye that she wasn’t entirely comfortable. The odd twitch to her movements, the heavy breath that came after too long had passed without speech, the way her ears faced backward ever so slightly.

Part of that might have been the information she bore, of course, but Velvet was paranoid enough to take note of it.

Twilight Velvet glanced at her daughter, who strolled around the map that sat in the midst of the open circle of thrones. Locations familiar and exotic shimmered with magic, from Canterlot to Felaccia. Twilight Sparkle floated a notepad to her side and turned to Merry.

“So…” Twilight pressed her pencil’s eraser against her lips, avoiding Merry’s eyes. “You had something to say about the recent… kidnapping?”

Merry exhaled through her nose. “I’ve been digging around.” She flipped open the folder, shuffling around the contents distractedly. “When Roseluck told me Scootaloo was missing, I spoke with several other clients, looked into the seedier places in town, and dug up a few old contacts from my days as mayor. I found an interesting story at the tavern, of a newcomer to Ponyville who started and ended a brawl in the space of two seconds. He seems to fit the description of one of the attackers.”

Twilight Velvet’s ears shot up. “Where did you hear a description of the suspects?”

“My client.” Merry’s eyebrows lowered, darkening her eyes behind her spectacles. “Roseluck confided in me based on what Button Mash told her. As a therapist, I have to deal with a great deal of necessary patient-doctor confidentiality, but this is life-and-death.”

She shook her head, and Velvet felt her heart melt just a little. The former mayor drooped, her eyes downcast. “Not just Scootaloo’s and Sweetie Belle’s, but also Roseluck’s. I don’t think she can survive without her daughter.”

Merry’s jaw tightened ever so slightly. She lifted a sheet of paper from her lap, which had a small portrait attached via paperclip. “My old contacts from the Baltimare Police Department had this.”

Twilight Velvet lit her horn and drifted the profile across the table. She brought the page close to her face and removed the picture. The colt was pretty spot-on, from a blue mop of a mane, to the devilish smirk Button had described. She continued down the line, to convicted crimes. “His name’s Rhombus. He was a juvenile delinquent; roughed up some kids on the playground real bad. Let’s see… Petty theft. Breaking and entering.” Her breath hitched. “And committed at least one murder before he graduated high school. He took a liking to a girl, but her boyfriend took offense. Rhombus took the colt’s life.”

A purple-feathered wing swung into view. Velvet jolted and glanced up at her daughter as she floated overhead. “Sweetie, I don’t think I’ll ever get used to you flying. I’m supposed to be the hover-mom.”

“Sorry.” Twilight Sparkle perched on the armrest. “This is all so surreal, still. I mean, Sweetie’s kinda local-famous, but neither of their families are very rich. I don’t get the motive.”

“Rarity’s pretty famous, honey.” Velvet tapped her horn against Twilight’s shoulder. “And they were both partially schooled by a certain princess when they were kids.”

“Oh yeah.” Twilight’s mouth popped open. Her head snapped around to glance between Merry and her mother. “Oh gosh. Oh no. Did they kidnap them to get at me?”

“Don’t jump to conclusions,” Merry said. The first sentence came out in a rush, but she paced the following few slower, more thoughtfully. “It will just make you upset. It’ll cloud your decision-making process. You don’t have all the facts, and you won’t get them until the perpetrators are caught. But we have a lead.” She indicated an envelope containing a couple receipts. “He took the train into town, and chances are he took it out.”

“Probably not,” Twilight Velvet said. “It would be borderline impossible to… board a train with…”

Something caught her eye. On the edge of her vision, trying desperately to not be noticed, was her grandson and one of the visiting princesses. They crept around the edge of the throne room, their heated gazes locked on Merry.

“To board a train with hostages,” Merry finished for her. She glanced the way Velvet’s eyes jumped, but caught no sign of the hidden children. “But check the receipt. It’s not a passenger train; it’s the cargo train to Dodge Junction. They might have bribed a railway worker, or merely snuck in, to hide the girls out of sight in a freight car.”

Silver Lance poked his head around a tapestry. Stella Ursagryph appeared above him. Silver waved at a nearby guard, speaking out in the loudest “Psst!” Velvet had ever heard. Commander Skyhook frowned as he made his way over to the colt, probably to reprimand him for sneaking into a private meeting.

Velvet shifted her attitude. She appeared to put her full attention on Merry, while quietly keeping tabs on her grandchild in the corner. Silver wasn’t one to do things without reason. He was too steady, too careful, too much like his mother. If he was there breaking the rules, then it was for something he felt was truly important.

Twilight Sparkle looked the receipt over, pressing her lips together. “I would have thought these stallions would be smart enough to not use their own name.”

“It’s not exactly a well-known name.” Twilight Velvet shuffled the data back together, folding it up in a handy little bundle. “I’ve sure never heard of Rhombus being in cahoots with the others.”

Merry’s eyebrows jumped up. “You know their names? If you tell me, I could probably look into—”

“I don’t think I can, I’m afraid.” Velvet shrugged. “It’s not my decision to make.”

Merry narrowed her gaze. “Aren’t you leading the investigation?”

“Not alone.” Velvet stood up, dusting her rump off. A jingle pulled her attention upward. She masked her glance by stretching her neck. In the tree-root chandelier, decorated with memories from her daughter’s time in Ponyville, Velvet saw three winged forms leaping nearly-silently through the crystals. So it was a family-wide conspiracy, then. “Even I have people to answer to. I’ll see if I can’t get you cleared, but… you were mayor once. You know how it is.”

Merry Mare removed her spectacles. “Then I suppose without further ado, I’ll take my leave and let you continue the investigation.”

Coldstone, a crystal pony soldier in Twilight’s personal guard, walked alongside her to lead her to the door. When she was gone, Twilight Velvet shouted at the top of her lung. “Alright you kids! Get down here right now!”

Flurry, Corona, and Amore landed one after the other. Silver and Stella scrambled up soon after, trailed by Skyhook.

Twilight Sparkle suppressed a shriek at their sudden appearance. “How long have you kids been listening in?”

Corona tapped her talons and said nothing. Amore and Silver looked at each other and shrugged. Stella was content to smile.

That left Flurry Heart to be the responsible one. Velvet narrowed in on her eldest granddaughter, wrinkling her brow with concern. “Flurry? Why were you spying on us?”

“W-we weren’t.” Flurry aimed an oversized wing towards the enormous double-doors of the castle. “We were spying on her.”

Velvet glanced at her daughter, seeking insight into Flurry’s words. Seeing that Twilight was just as confused as she was, she returned her attention to Flurry. “Why were you spying on Merry? She doesn’t seem like the type of person to interest you.”

Flurry Heart kept her head down. Her wings slumped around her hooves. “I think she’s evil.”

Twilight Sparkle barked a laugh. “Well, she’s certainly not the nicest of ponies.”

Velvet gave her daughter a dour frown. Twilight Sparkle coughed and took a step back.

“I have dreams,” Flurry said. “Bad dreams. I dreamed about Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo the night they were kidnapped. I dreamed about Auntie Celestia when she was attacked. And… and I dreamed about Miss Mare. And she’s… she’s a really bad person.”

Twilight Velvet sighed and pulled Flurry into a hug. “Honey, it was just a dream. They’re just our minds making sense of our day—”

“I don’t want to believe my dreams.” Flurry voice waivered. She kept a brave face, even as she hid it from view. “But they keep coming true.”

Velvet stroked Flurry’s mane. She looked at the other kids to see if they would add anything, but they remained silent. “Tell you what? I’ll spend some time investigating Merry Mare. Personally. Well see if she’s got anything to do with your dreams. In the meantime, you kids need to leave dangerous stuff to us adults. That’s what we’re here for. To keep you safe.”

She gave Flurry a gentle push to stand beside the other children. “For heaven’s sake, childhood’s only so long. Enjoy it while it lasts.”

Flurry finally lifted her chin. She gave Velvet a smile, small but precious. “Yes, Grandma. We will. Thank you.”

“In the meantime…” Twilight Velvet passed the manila folder to Skyhook. “Contact the sheriff of Dodge Junction. We’ve got a lead to follow, and I wanna strike the iron while it’s hot.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Velvet smiled at the children. “And you five. Get yourselves cleaned up, because Pinkie Pie’s taking you on a tour of Ponyville today.”

Twilight Amore leaped into the air with a flap of her wings. “Yeah! Pinkie!”

“Oh my gosh! We’re meeting Pinkie Pie!” Stella hugged Silver’s neck long before he could voice his happiness. “This is literally the best day ever!”

Velvet caught a change in Corona’s eyes. They widened in pleasant surprise, but just as quickly narrowed and shot towards Flurry. Flurry, for her part, let her smile fade into gentle, practiced neutrality.

“And you—” Velvet touched a hoof to Flurry’s cheek. “—don’t even worry about Merry. There’s nothing in this world that can stand a chance against the Sparkle family. Never has been, never will.”

The kids shuffled off. Velvet sighed as she watched them, and turned to Twilight Sparkle. She shot a glance at the gemstone necklace her daughter always wore… and the white scar that lay beneath. “We get roughed up, sometimes, but we always get back up.”

***

Corona clicked her beak. Flurry took it to mean that she was vaguely annoyed, based on the limited griffon body language she knew. “What is it?” Flurry said. “Are you upset?”

“No, I’m thinking.” Corona’s tone said differently. It was forceful, but not in a bullying way. More like what her mother called “passive aggressive.” “If Merry’s as dangerous as you say, it’ll take more than your grandmother ‘investigating’ her. And once again, we’re supposed to do nothing.”

“Grandma Velvet’s stronger than you think.” Flurry glanced over her shoulder. Coldstone followed at a respectful distance; close enough to be on hand, far enough to not stifle the kids. “And I refuse to do nothing.”

Corona snapped her beak shut. “You planned on this?”

“I figured the answer would be something like that.” Flurry Heart glanced up at the griffon chick. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t use our tour of Ponyville as an excuse to do a little ‘investigating’ of our own.”

Corona nodded slowly. She tapped a talon against the side of her beak. “Where did you plan to start?”

“Where all great adventures start,” Flurry said. “Sugarcube Corner.”

***

Merry Mare walked silently through the streets of the City of Ponyville. She returned greetings with a smile; waves with a nod. A breeze pulled at her mane and led her down a side street, where the crowds were thinner and the scrutiny more sinister. Even in Ponyville, there were dangers to those who walked unawares.

Merry counted herself among them. She leaned against a stained concrete wall and spoke to thin air. “They took the bait.”

A disgusting, trepidatious thing squirmed from the shadows. It slithered through the air, taking shape even as it moved to stand beside her. A thin-maned, rat-faced pony grinned at her with a cheese-eating smile. “A fish will grasp at any lure if it’s starving. It’s hardly a surprise at this point.”

The corner of Merry’s lip quirked. “I wasn’t fishing for compliments, Scuttlebutt, if that’s what you mean. They’ll find Poni’s safehouse before the day is over. Speaking of, which artifact did you choose to plant there?”

“The griffon’s goblet.” Scuttlebutt’s oversized front teeth chattered against his lower jaw. “Last known location: Ahuizotl’s grasping, grimy paws.”

Scuttlebutt’s ear twitched. He lowered his head, his smile becoming a faint scowl. He scratched at the faint moustache prickling from his upper lip. “I had a thought, my lady. If you would permit me?”

Merry raised an eyebrow.

“They will no doubt chase Ahuizotl with the full might of the Equestrian army…” Scuttlebutt narrowed his yellowed eyes. “Aren’t you concerned that, perhaps, their battle may be the death of you beloved husband? I know how hard you took the first death in your fami—”

Merry did not move. She did not speak. She did not so much as visibly react. The only sound in the alleyway was a faint hum of a familiar tune. The only movement was a flicker of light from her saddlebags.

Scuttlebutt attempted to cough, but every last bit of air was cut off from his lungs. He pawed at his throat as the muscles contracted. Squeezing, grasping, constricting like a snake.

Merry shook her head infinitesimally. “You should choose your words more wisely, wight of the barrow downs. Lest they be stolen from you.”

His tan coat faded to sickly gray as his eyes clouded to unplumbable black holes. His body became jelly in her grip and slumped to the ground in a sad little glob.

“I’m not afraid for Poni’s life,” she said, letting the wretched creature grasp faintly for purchase on the smooth back road. “Trust me when I say it’s in good hands.”

Scuttlebutt dragged his body back into the shadows and glowered at her. His lips peeled back to reveal sharp, fishlike teeth. “Of course, my lady. How could I have doubted?”

Merry’s hoof brushed against a tiny bone; the femur of some unfortunate animal. “It’s not one of Fluttershy’s, is it?”

“Probably not. Maybe.” Scuttlebutt shrugged. “If it is, she hasn’t cause to be upset. Squirrels die all the time. Especially in the Everfree.”

He lashed out, not with an attack, but with biting words. “Lots of things die in the Everfree, I’ve heard.”

He was gone before Merry could formulate a response. She stared at the empty alley for a moment, then kicked the bone into the other refuse Scuttlebutt left behind. She supposed she should count her blessings; wights generally craved flesh much more attention grabbing than squirrel meat.

She grimaced as she glanced back to Ponyville’s sunny square and its multicolored populace. Much more attention grabbing.

She swayed as she walked to her office, her glasses low on her muzzle, a quiet song on her lips.

“Armies taking flight
God-hood’s ascent denied
Poni will be set free
We’ll be a family…”

***

Sweetie Belle grasped her head between her hooves. The headaches were worse, now. The pressure under her horn, the burn in her temples, all compounded by watching Scootaloo’s heart being torn from her chest. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, far outpacing the gentle drizzle of water down the cavern walls. She sent magic to her horn for a brief moment of light, a small spark to remind her that life yet existed in the squalor of Ahuizotl’s lair.

Three days without ambrosia. She’d dealt with it before, and would do so again. Much longer, though, and her light would go out. The magic would no longer be able to make the journey through her underdeveloped fairy strings. She would become weak, feeble. After that… she didn’t want to find out what happened after that.

The door fell away, receding into the wall. Precious light flashed into the dim room, broken by an imposing silhouette. A massive earth pony trotted into the cavern, a tray balanced on his back.

“Happy Friday, miss.” The big stallion’s voice rumbled deep in the stones beneath her hooves. “Seems they elected me tae be yer server. Though I suppose that just means I’m the only one willin’ tae do it.”

His face came into the light of her horn. He was strong, no doubts about it, being as big as—or more so—than Big Macintosh. His orange side-burns lined his jaw-line like a helmet. A hat slightly too small for him sat atop his head, looking fairly out of place in relation to the rest of him. “Name’s Kiln.”

“I remember you,” Sweetie said, her voice low. She turned away, gritting her teeth tight behind closed lips. “I brained you with a rock.”

“Aye, lass. An’ I cannae say I blame ye.” His hoof went to the back of his head. The action ended with a wince. “Listen, lass. Ye cannae live without nourishment. Eat somethin’ an’ regain yer strength.”

He slid a couple of packages through the bars of her cell. Each one wrapped in a thick, brown paper and tied with a string. “Special imports from Equestria. All the comforts of home.”

She scooped a package up with a hoof and rolled it closer. Inside was a sliced potato and carrots. In the other package, she found bread and cheese in a sort of sandwich. The third one just contained a water bottle with the most clear, delicious, precious water she’d ever seen in her life.

“Mind ye don’t make yerself sick.” Kiln sighed as his bushy eyebrows came together. “I know ye’ve had aught these past few days.”

Just tasting the cheese nearly made her vomit right then and there. It was too rich. She nibbled at a potato chunk, interspersing small bites with sips of water. She glanced at Kiln to see he was watching her. “What do you want?”

He frowned, pulling one side of his mouth back and turning his head. “To convince meself that I’m doin’ the right thing.”

Sweetie Belle scoffed. She shook her head, but the motion made it feel like her brain was bouncing around her skull. She steadied herself with a hoof. “You aren’t going to manage that. Not in here. Not after what you did. What you let happen.”

He removed his hat from his head and held it over his chest. “There’s more goin’ on here than ye know.”

Sweetie tossed a carrot at him. It fell short and thudded to a stop at the base of her cage. “More going on! Let me tell you what’s going on, you creep! My oldest friend just got her heart torn out!”

Fresh tears stung her cheeks and thundered in her head. “You left… a stallion I care a lot about lying bleeding on the floor! I don’t even know if he’s alive, or dead, or…”

She waved at the hard wood circling around her, closing in on all sides. “And I’m trapped here in the dark and the wet, the prisoner of a monster that would make my worst nightmares wet the bed!”

He kept his face stony, still, as she walked closer. “Are you convinced yet?” she asked. “Are you feeling all warm and fuzzy at all the wonderful things you’ve done? Are you proud of yourself, you big, dumb walking pile of bricks?”

Kiln returned the hat to its place. He chuckled lightly. “Ye remind me of me daughter. She’s right ‘round yer age, more or less. A spirited lass, who takes nae guff. One who knows what she desires, an’ always puts her mind to it. They dinnae let less than the best intae Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns.”

He looked to Sweetie with lidded eyes. “Then again, they dinnae allow the daughter of a poor, widowed ironworker in either. When he has nae place tae go, and nae hope within him. He grows desperate. He seeks other means of elevating his daughter’s station. He turns tae the trade of rare antiquities, ill-gained or otherwise.”

He tipped his hat to her. “Without Caballeron, me daughter would never have lived her dreams. Never even had a chance to begin. I wanna thank ye for the opportunity to pay him back.”

Sweetie grasped the bars tight. Her throat was tight with pain and emotion. “So. Everything is worth it, because your daughter got to go to a nice school. That’s worth me being down here. That’s worth helping a monster do unspeakable things to my friends. That’s worth kidnapping, and murder.”

She backed away, a step at a time, shaking her head. “She must be so proud, knowing that her schooling only cost you your soul.” She kicked the cheese sandwich across the room. It fell into the dim pool with a tiny plunk.

Kiln watched it sink, the bread dissolving, into the darkness of the pool’s endless depths. “Nay. She barely knows I’m alive. It’s best that way.”

He gritted his teeth. “I thought as you did, once. That there was merit tae keepin’ certain morals intact. That in the end, all things worked together for good. But ye ken… aught. Life’s unfair. All it takes is one turn for the worse, an’ all ye loved is gone, and all that made ye a good person is dead.”

He lowered his left ear and sent her a narrow glance. “Understand summat. Ye’ll be faced with choices the next few days. Some o’ these choices will lead you to doin’ terrible things. But the alternative, the reverse, is tae watch as yer dear friend is tortured in mind, body, and soul.”

The skin on Sweetie’s ears burned. She shrunk away from him, leaving her veggies lying in the middle of her cell. The sinking pit in her stomach deepened. The look on Scootaloo’s face as she was attacked…

Kiln stood up and made his way towards the door. “Question is, what’s more important? Your loose-kept morals, or Scootaloo’s life?”

The door slid away as he approached. He shuffled back, looking down at a new arrival. One of the Painted Ones walked in with a spear held high. He was quickly followed by several others, led by Dissero himself.

Kiln bowed at the neck. “What brings ye here, mates? Just doin’ me duty feedin’—”

“Be still,” Dissero said, brushing past the bigger pony. His sunken eyes glared daggers at Sweetie Belle. He opened his mouth, and the same twisted, unnatural words rolled forth. The bars around her returned to life, squirming and wriggling out of her way. “Come, unicorn. Ahuizotl has need of you.”

Sweetie waved at the untouched portion of her meal. “I don’t even get to finish?”

Dissero growled at the back of his throat. “You will eat when Ahuizotl wills it.”

“Fret not, lass.” Kiln scooped up the food and set it on his tray. “There’ll be more here when ye return.”

Dissero looked upon Kiln like he might gaze at a particularly disgusting insect. He shunted the pony from his mind and turned his milky white eyes to Sweetie. “Come.”

He set off at a surprisingly swift pace. Sweetie had to canter just to keep up with his powerful, purposeful strides. Perhaps there was more to the old pony that just skin and bones? They led her down a different corridor than before, which was fine by her. The less she thought about the throne room, the better. The new tunnel led them to an open room, and the path gained a sheer ledge on one side leading down into darkness. She swallowed hard as she gave the abyss a knee-shaking look. Nothing could be seen but a single, opaque blot.

A spear slid between her and the empty air. “Stay back,” the Painted One guard said. “No one will dare follow you down.”

“Duly noted.” Sweetie Belle strained her ears. She heard something, but it wasn’t quite clear. It echoed all around, bouncing off the walls, falling into the pit, dying quietly against soft coats. An odd throb that crawled into her ears and scratched at the door of her heart, begging to be let in.

The torches on the walls swayed as fresh air flowed through the caverns. The Painted One to her left let the tip of his spear scratch against the rock wall. Sparks flew. A second glance told her that their spears were tipped with enchanted crystal. They were not as primitive as they seemed at first. A weapon like that could have a hair’s-breadth edge, or a cauterizing heat, or a biting jolt. She suspected that even the Painted Ones’ colorations had magical properties. Some magic-laced coat dyes or the like.

The sound was confused amongst the chaos when they came to the next room. Pickaxes, shovels, wheelbarrows, drills; all manner of digging tools were on display, clearing a corridor of crumbled stone. Painted Ones stood at the edges of the work zone, looking on. None of the workers had any of the Painted Ones’ decorations or designs. They were all plain. Captive. Enslaved.

“Oh my gosh.” Sweetie’s hoof went to her mouth. “What are they all doing?”

Dissero halted long enough to turn on her. “Still your tongue, unicorn,” he said, snapping his teeth. He resumed his march, paying the workers no mind.

Sweetie spent a moment examining the ponies. They all shared the same slacked expression. Dull eyes, limp ears, mechanical movements. Mind controlled? Brainwashed? Devoid of hope?

Her heart leaped in her chest when she saw a familiar orange coat. “Scootaloo! Can you hear—?”

The guard stabbed her in the flank. Just enough to draw blood. Violent webs of pain shot through her leg, nearly sending her crumbling to her face. She caught sight of Scootaloo once more, though her friend ignored her. The pegasus continued to pull her cart of debris along, her face blank, her eyes glazed, her lips parted in an effort to continue to breathe.

“She is no longer yours, unicorn,” Dissero said. A faint touch of a new expression pulled at his wrinkled features; that of pure, cruel joy. “She belongs to Ahuizotl, to do as he sees fit. For now, he sees fit that she be put to work.”

He held his head high, his eyes shimmering within the folds of his purple cloak. “Along with all those unworthy to serve as anything more than a battery. Let the earth tremble.”

“Let the earth tremble,” the other Painted Ones said in synch.

He gestured towards a branching tunnel. The soldiers took their stance on either side of the opening, their spears held vertical, while Dissero shoved Sweetie Belle forward.

She sent a last, desperate glance towards her friend. “I’ll be back for you,” she whispered. “Pinkie Pie Promise.”

As the stone cutting faded, the thrumming came clearer. It was wet and globular, a pump working against flesh, a rhythmic flow. A massive heartbeat. When Sweetie Belle stepped from the shadows into the light of the next room, she couldn’t so much as take a breath.

In the midst of a circular room, there sat a vast array of magical crystals, all taking the shape of a Heart’s and Hooves Day heart. Purples, blues, greens, yellows, and every other color imaginable. As varied as ponies themselves. They beat with small, short pulses of energy, each one a silent scream for help, mercy, or death. Their cries were erratic, disunified, panicked.

There had to be more than a hundred.

Sweetie Belle covered her mouth, her lungs burning. A cry finally tore its way from her throat. “What have you done?”

“What indeed, Sweetie Belle?”

The multicolored lights radiated towards a hulking mass at the far side of the room. Powerful legs propelled Ahuizotl’s body into the living rainbow, where his mad eyes shone yellow. “What is the purpose of a spade, but to begin a harvest?” He drew a dagger with his snaking tail. His fingers gripped tight around a handle that was clearly too small for him, but no less deadly. “This… Spade of Hearts does just that. It harvests hearts. Each heart as unique as the pony that birthed it.”

He stepped carefully over the hearts, drawing closer to her. He loomed over her and waved the knife close to her nose. His breath stank of fish, a familiar scent to Sweetie. Her father spent most of his free time fishing these days. Homesickness battled with terror and disgust for priority.

“And that, my little pony, is where I find myself… in need.” Ahuizotl grinned. His jawline was nearly as long as her entire body. His teeth were as sharp as any blade. His breath was as rancid as a week-old crop of bass. “These hearts are, in fact, too unique. They refuse to beat in time with each other. Without this unity, without their powers combined, they are of no use to me.”

He pointed the dagger to her chest. Living color reflected into her eyes with a flash. “Your special talent, your very goal in life, is to unite hearts through song.”

Sweetie Belle’s eyes widened as she looked between the dagger, Ahuizotl’s mad eyes, and the erratically beating hearts. “I refuse. I… I refuse to help you.”

Ahuzotl shrugged. He sheathed the dagger across his back, between the twin swords slung over his shoulders. “Well, then I am afraid I no longer have use for you.”

He picked up a blue gem and examined it closely, pinching it between two claws. “And, come to think of it, I no longer have a use for these baubles.”

He crushed the heart against a stone. Magic flew out in a supernova of life-energy. What was left of the heart dimmed into black stone, which further crumbled to dust. A pained scream echoed from the next chamber over, and was cut short in an instant.

“Such a pity…” He picked up the next heart in line, admiring the sheen of green on his coat. “To go through all this work, only to have it squandered—”

The next pony met their death with a flick of his wrist.

“—by you.”

“Stop it, please!” Sweetie sat down hard and shouted the only thing she could think of at the moment. “Please, I’ll do as you ask! Just don’t hurt anybody!”

Ahuizotl licked his teeth. He stalked away from her, his footfalls landing between hearts. His tail slithered through the air and dug into a pouch slung across his side. A lavender heart, glowing with oh-so-familiar light, appeared in the palm of his tail’s four-fingered hand. “Remember this moment, Sweetie Belle. Remember it well, when you are tempted to disobey. When you are tempted…” A claw scratched along the surface of Scootaloo’s heart. “To watch your friend fade to nothingness.”

He tucked the precious life away. He raised his head and gestured to Sweetie, holding his paw up like an orchestra conductor. “Now. Prove to me you were worth the trouble. Sing, Sweetie Belle. Unite these hearts!”

Sing? Sweetie couldn’t breathe. Now, more than ever, she felt like she’d had the breath knocked out of her. Like her throat was parched by sand being poured down her gullet. Like her guts had tangled up in knots. “I—I don’t know what… what to…”

Dissero kicked her hind leg. “Do as the Almighty Ahuizotl commands, worm!”

Ahuizotl’s fist crushed the stone floor between Sweetie and Dissero. The old earth pony stumbled back, his long cloak tangled in his legs. He gazed at Ahuizotl with awe and terror practically bleeding from his eyes.

“Strike my prize again,” Ahuizotl said, his voice a terrible storm on a raging sea, “and I will tear your throat out with a simple twist of my paw. Never taking a second glance, never regretting my decision. Are we clear, Dissero?”

The old pony grasped his chest with a feeble hoof. “It is as you command, God of the Sun. It is always as you command.”

Ahuizotl prowled around Sweetie with gentle footfalls, light as a feather. “The question of what to sing can only be answered by one individual: You. Only you know what sort of music will unite their hearts. Only you know the words to bring out their strength. Only you…”

He touched a claw to her chin, raising her head. She found herself unable to look away from the slit pupils in the center of his glowing, poisonous eyes. “Only you,” he said again, his voice but a breath against her ear. “Only you have the power of a natural siren’s song.”

His paw hovered over the collected hearts, his coat taking the hue of dozens of ponies at once. “Exert your will, Sweetie Belle. Revel in your yet-undiscovered power. Let your soul blossom into a forge, from which you will build great and terrible weapons…”

He pushed her forward. She tiptoed up to the first of the lonely hearts. It glimmered a faint blue. She reached out to touch it.

Help me, please! I can’t see! It’s so cold in here! Where am I? Where’s my friend? Will you help me?

Her hoof spasmed in its haste to pull away. Tears ran anew down cheeks that were already painfully dirty. She just wanted to curl up in a ball and pretend it was all just a terrible dream.

But she could still feel Ahuizotl’s dark presence behind her.

She sighed out lyrics. Gentle. Faint. Powerless. There was no joy to the song. No hope. No thoughts of happier times or anticipation of days to come. Before long, the newborn song pattered to a stop.

The room continued to throb with disparate heartbeats.

“Disappoint me if you must, Sweetie Belle,” Ahuizotl said. “But we both know you won’t dare disappoint Scootaloo.”

Sweetie Belle wiped her face with the side of her hoof. The sight of so many hearts all shining together was so beautiful in its own dark way.

Please help.

She gasped. That was it. That was the bright spot. They still needed help. These ponies weren’t dead. They were still alive.

That was their hope.

Soulless though their bodies were—despite lifeless eyes and censured voices—they still had a chance. It would be a long shot. It would be dangerous and risky even if everything went perfectly. But with Sweetie Belle there, at least they had a reason to keep going.

She cleared her throat, wishing that she’d done vocal exercises at any point the last few days. It wouldn’t be pretty, but it would be a start. A first step in a larger journey. She took a deep breath in, hummed a tentative note, and began her song.

“When the fields have all faded to ashen dark gray
When the mountains fall into the seas
When the sun will no more bring about the new day
When the mighty are thrown to their knees

“Still I’ll stand by your side
And through all of the night
You won’t have to spend a moment alone
We will share in the light
That our friendship provides
So together we’ll find ourselves home

“When dust of the earth becomes mold and decay
When the stars in the heavens decease
When the memories of old have all faded away
When the greatest have become the least

“Still I’ll hold you real tight
Fighting terror and fright
Though our fears make us tremble and moan
I will know all is right
When I look in your eyes
And I see that I’m already home

“When the spark in my heart becomes ashen and gray
When the strength in my limbs has decreased
When my eyes can no longer describe your fair face
When my body is weak with disease

“Would you love me despite
My faint and waning might
When my body is bitter and cold
Would you share in your light
Would you brighten my night
Then through you I will find my way home…”

Sweetie Belle opened her eyes slowly, carefully, as if an errant blink might break the spell. The thrum of hearts became steady. The flash of light began at the center of the collection, and spread outward in a wave of magic. The cries for help faded, replace by a certain sort of silence; expectancy. When the magic washed over her, she felt their hearts unite with hers, sharing comfort in both directions. There was hope. There was light in the darkness of the underground. There was love.

There was a will to fight.

“Excellent,” Ahuizotl said, placing a paw on her shoulder. It dwarfed her body and pressed hard enough to make her hunch. “I knew you could do it. And now, I believe this concludes our test run. I shall call you again when I have need.”

Sweetie Belle glared over her shoulder. Fire flashed in her eyes. “I’ll be waiting.”

Ahuizotl drew back, his yellow slits narrowing further. He growled in the back of his throat. “Begone with you, then. Dissero! Remove her!”

“As you command, Almighty Ah—”

“And be quick about it.” Ahuizotl grinned like a cat about to pounce on a bird. He patted the pouch at his side. “I’ll be keeping your friend safe, Sweetie Belle. Count on it.”

Dissero grabbed her shoulder roughly and dragged her towards the exit. She didn’t spare Ahuizotl more than a glance as she was pulled away from the hearts. The steady thrum grew more discordant the further she got away, her influence leaving the collection of lost souls.

The faint flash of orange in the stone dust of the mine brought Scootaloo’s courage to mind. The certainty that help was on the way. That Daring Do herself was charging straight from the pages of the storybooks to put an end to Ahuizotl’s mad schemes. It seemed too crazy to be true, but Scootaloo believed it.

To Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo was hope.

Comments

[RadicalDishonesty]

I know that these are supposed to be theoretically stand alone able... But having Merry here, right after the epilogue with her in it from If You Weren't Afraid is pretty awesome.

And man she is evil. The crocodile tears are real. Sympathy for Roseluck while attempting to make it harder to actually find Scootaloo.

Angrily arguing with someone is a bad way to be convincing, Sweetie. They will dig in. He probably left the encounter more sure he was right than when he went in.

[howard035]

A Merry-heavy chapter, which as we all know are some of my favorite ones. Here she is to so helpfully advance the investigation, while pinning the blame on the one pony in the gang that can't be traced back to her. And now she will have to face off against Twilight Velvet, a challenge indeed.

Can't wait to see what the Scoobie gang gets up to with Pinkie Pie. I wonder if they will end up running into Scuttlebutt?

Azzy should have paid more attention to the details of the song Sweetie was pouring into those hearts, I suspect he will regret this oversight later.

One thing I think this chapter makes very clear: The death of Amber Waves is in the past, but it will also be important in the future too. Just as I long for Merry to find out the truth about Happy, I can't wait for Kiln to find out the truth about Amber.

8383446 I'm not sure she is precisely delaying the investigation. It seems like Merry genuinely wants to help the Good Guys find and stop Ahuizotl, because he's a reckless mad-creature that could doom the world, and the sooner he's stopped, the sooner her husband is free of him. She's mainly inserting herself here to A)Deflect blame from Poni and B)Try and get involved in the investigation so she can influence it further. I think she assumes Caballeron can easily avoid a raid from the Royal Guard, so she wants to call one down on Ahuizotl as soon as possible.

[Dinode]

Twilight Sparkle suppressed a shriek at their sudden appearance. “How long have you kids been listening in?”

Wow, for a national heroine, Sparkle clearly doesn't have much situational awareness. Either that or Velvet is just that good. Probably both.

“The griffon’s goblet.” Scuttlebutt’s oversized front teeth chattered against his lower jaw. “Last known location: Ahuizotl’s grasping, grimy paws.”

Wait a moment, two things. One, I don't suppose that's related to the idol of Boreas, is it? Two, so they want the ponies to realize Ahuizotl's involved? I suppose if him taking over would interfere with their taking over . . .

Scuttlebutt attempted to cough, but every last bit of air was cut off from his lungs. He pawed at his throat as the muscles contracted. Squeezing, grasping, constricting like a snake.

Wait, wasn't this guy the new leader of the Equestrian Unseelie? And she's able to do that to him? Either I'm misremembering things, or he's a lot less of a threat than I thought.

Ye remind me of me daughter.

Wait, is he related to Cloudchaser? Or was it Cloud Kicker?

“Only you have the power of a natural siren’s song.”

Wait wait wait, so the Dazzling's aren't natural sirens? What about

Scootaloo

? I know she can't sing, but given who her mother was . . .

So this was an interesting chapter. I wonder how Sweetie Belle plans on getting a bunch of hearts to help when they don't have bodies. What does Ahuizotl want to use those hearts for? If he isn't on the side of the Unseelie, who is he with? When will the adults finally realize Flurry is a prophetess? I'm looking forward to seeing what's next.

[Flynt Coal]

Nice chapter. I like how Sweetie uniting the hearts was simultaneously dark and hopeful.

8393132

Wait, wasn't this guy the new leader of the Equestrian Unseelie? And she's able to do that to him? Either I'm misremembering things, or he's a lot less of a threat than I thought.

The guy Merry was talking to here was not an unseelie. Just a random wight she had taken control of way back at the end of Lord Mayor Applejack