How to Escape from Tartarus

by The Engineer Pony

Chapter 3 - The Decision

Spike found himself floating upside down in the throne room of Canterlot Castle, garbed in the attire of Star Swirl the Bearded. Below him, Princess Luna vainly struggled to escape from a giant hamster ball. A pair of royal guards faced off against one another in a game of chess to Spike’s right, while another watered some daffodils on his left.

Spike sighed.

He supposed such things were to be expected when Discord was present.

“As I already told your sister, I could find no trace of Princess Twilight at the castle.” Discord dribbled Luna’s hamster ball against the ceiling a couple of times before tossing it into a breadbasket. “Asking me again isn’t going to magically change my answer.”

Luna’s horn flared with power. She teleported right in front of Discord, her determined visage mere inches from his amused grin. “Celestia and I merely wondered if you had noticed anything else beyond what you told us before. The severity of this situation increases with each passing minute of Twilight’s absence, and any clue to help us find her would be welcome.”

Discord rolled his eyes, causing the room to rotate. Spike bounced off of a tumbling throne before falling onto a window. Luna, though, remained perfectly balanced as she stared down Discord.

“Oh, please,” Discord said. “Twilight is a big princess, and I have complete confidence that she can take care of herself—which is more than I can say for you and Celestia. I seem to recall a certain incident where Twilight had to rescue both of you from rampaging vines.”

“Something that was your fault, Discord,” Luna spat. “I begin think you are deliberately trying to antagonize me.” She briefly conjured a shield to deflect a stray chess piece that fell from the game floating above her.

“Now, Luna,” Discord replied, “I’m reformed, remember? Just like you. It hurts my heart to hear you of all ponies accuse me of being disloyal.” An arrow appeared embedded in his chest.

“I do not doubt your loyalties, Discord,” said Luna evenly, “merely your habit of treating your jokes as more important than urgent matters. Would you kindly return this room to its normal form and actually do something helpful?”

With an exaggerated frown, Discord snapped his claw. The room immediately righted itself, the furniture returned to its usual configuration, and the excess floating daffodils disappeared. Gravity also reasserted itself, causing Spike to plummet to the floor.

Picking himself slowly up off the slightly indented marble, Spike glared at Discord. “Gee, thanks. Can’t you go annoy someone else?”

Discord vanished in a puff of cloud, though his voice still lingered. “Of course. I think I will go be helpful and once again futilely try to locate Princess Twilight. After all, I can detect almost any magic…with the possible exception of Harmony itself.”

With a disgruntled snort, Luna flew back to the throne and plopped down upon it. “Hmph. I do not understand why my sister puts so much trust in him. He is being deliberately unhelpful.”

“Yeah, he does that,” Spike muttered. “So what’s next, Princess?”

“With my sister, Discord, and half the royal guard already out searching for Twilight, there is little else we can do but wait for more information,” said Luna. “So far we have yet to hear anything that could help us find her.”

“Oh,” Spike said with disappointment. “Well, then—“

The door to the throne room slammed open. In rushed three very distraught ponies.

“Rarity!” Spike exclaimed. “Did you talk to Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie? What did they say?”

Rarity quickly ran a brush through her slightly disheveled mane to return it to its usual pristine condition. Then she spoke. “Princess Luna, we have come across a rather…disturbing possibility.”

“Yes, Rarity?” asked Luna. “What is this you have learned?”

“Well, you see,” Rarity replied with just the slightest hesitation, “we discussed with our imprisoned friends what they had done with Twilight, and they were adamant she had been in the castle with them. We asked why, then, we could not find her, and Pinkie Pie suggested—well, she said that perhaps…”

“She went and said some powerful new enemy just came and took Twilight right out from under our hooves,” Applejack interrupted.

“Yes,” Rarity added, shooting Applejack an irritated glance. “We were wondering, Princess, if we are quite sure that Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie are in fact the true danger here? Should we not be more concerned about some other threat to Equestria?”

Luna pondered this news for a moment. “I have not yet seen any evidence for the involvement of some dangerous foe. Perhaps your friends were merely trying to throw suspicion off of themselves.”

“Really?” Spike asked in surprise. “What about what Discord said, how his magic couldn’t find Twilight?”

“Discord is hiding something, I am sure,” declared Luna. “His word cannot be completely trusted. I remain convinced that Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash are responsible for Twilight’s disappearance.”

“So, you’re not going to let them go?” Fluttershy asked.

“I see no reason to,” Luna stated firmly. “They have broken Equestrian law and deserve to be punished.”

“Yes, well, we thought we might need their help to face the new threat,” Fluttershy replied.

“There is no new threat to Equestria. All I see are two ponies stubbornly refusing to tell us where they have hidden Twilight, and one draconequus trying to agitate us for his own amusement. Perhaps if Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash were to show some remorse and return Twilight to us, I would consider releasing them. But until then, I will not be swayed by tales of terrifying foes.”

Silence fell as Spike and the others took in Princess Luna’s proclamation. After a few moments, Applejack tipped her hat at Luna. “Well, thank you kindly, Princess. We best get back to lookin’ for our friend. And would it be alright if we took Spike along with us?”

“Certainly,” said Luna with a nod. “I wish you the best of luck in your search. Keep me informed of your progress.”

“Will do, Princess.” Applejack turned and trotted out of the throne room, Rarity right behind her. Fluttershy opened her mouth for a second, but then closed it and crept after Rarity. With one last glance back at Luna’s impassive form, Spike followed her out the door.

The three ponies were already heading toward the castle’s exit. Spike jogged up next to Rarity as they walked. “So you really think some new enemy took Twilight?”

“It certainly seems so,” Rarity said. “We had hoped to convince Luna release Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, so they could help us fight this threat.” She looked inquisitively over at Applejack.

“Yeah, well, it didn’t look like she could be persuaded to let them go,” Applejack replied. “If we want to get our friends’ help, we’re gonna have to do it ourselves.”

“What do you mean?” asked Fluttershy, a hint of worry in her voice.

“I mean,” Applejack said fiercely, “if the Princess isn’t gonna release our friends, we’re gonna break ‘em out of Tartarus on our own.”

Comments

[VampDash]

WELL THEN.

[superfun]

This is getting better and better.

[Zulu 625]

PRISON BREAK!!

[Born-From-Black-Lightnin]

Hmm.... Well I can tell that this might end up being hilarious. Soo dose this mean that all of them are going to wind up in Tartarus because they help them escape? Probably don't need the spoiler tag but why not?