The Elements of Salvation

by Slick Dash

Time to reflect, reccoperate and move onward

Reality came back to Seed like sand through an hourglass, first he began to feel something pressed against his face; long, wide and flat... the floor surely. Then he noticed it was rough and uneven, sparking the first senses of discomfort back into being. Next came sound, low muttering and whispers mixed with a quiet wind blowing past. He couldn't help notice the similarity to when he woke up in Zecora's hut a few days ago...

The muttering seemed to come from mixed distances. Two of the more distinct voices were coming from further away. He strained his ears trying to discern if he knew the voices, but try as he might, his fuzzy mind wouldn't work in that way. Then he heard the other voice, echoing and coming from no direction, it simply occurred, from within his own head it seemed.
"Apple Seed... Oh I hope ya'lright. This is torture jus' waitin'... hopin'... Oh I hope yer safe darlin'!"
"Urghh..." Seed grunted in response to the voice, "M-Mom? That you?" The whispers stopped, leaving only the wind to prove to still prove that Seed was alive. With another grunt Seed moved his forelegs. They felt heavier than usual, and as he moved he heard a metallic clinking. with effort far beyond anything he'd done before, Seed opened an eye.

It took a second to register hat he was seeing. Something shiny, round and purple. It was only when he noticed the metal frame around the circular orb, did he realise it was an eye. A very familiar eye.

"Hey buddy!" The eye blinked, shifting slightly, suggesting the owner of it was who had spoken. "Take it slow, your heads lucky to be in one piece!"
"Eeurghh... A-Archy?" Seed mumbled, getting to his hooves, heavily. Sure enough, once up Seed could see the face and body of the pony before him. Ahead of him stood, a very tired, very battered looking Archimedes Wright. Seed smiled and swooped up the slim unicorn into a hug. Strength exploding into life at the sight of his lost friend. "You're ok!" Seed laughed with joy. Then another voice came from behind him.
"'Ok' isn't the term I would use!" Seed turned to see a set of bars ahead. He was in a cell, and just ahead, across a narrow hallway was another cell. In it was Angy; who was stood, her face pushed against the bars, relief at Seed's safety obvious in her face. In the corner, sat against the wall, was a half smiling Thor, happy with his friend's recovery, but something obviously bothering him. The speaker however, had been Dying Armour, sat on the windowsill of their prison, his hind left leg; tethered to the floor unlike the other two, his right; resting on the sill being used as a prop for his right foreleg. He looked unnaturally comfortable in a prison...

Seed stared at them all for a moment, then opened his mouth and asked the first thing that came to mind.
"W-where's Sweetness?"
"We don't know." Archy piped up, a worried grimace spreading across his face. "You all got brought in together except for Sweetness and Ruby!"
"Ruby?!" Seed double checked, when Archy nodded Seed smiled. "Nooo, it's ok guys!" He turned to the other cell, who's occupants were looking back in confusion. Even Dying Armour. "Ruby got away, I gave her a chance when they took us off the wall, she teleported out!" The rest all sighed in gratitude, glad of some good news.
"That's lucky..." Said a voice behind Seed. The stallion turned and saw a tattered pony stood at the other side of his and Archy's cell.
"Knowing Kartoruss, he would have taken a pretty mare like little Ruby and... well... let's just say you saved more than just her life Apple Seed!" Seed frowned at the use of his name.
"Beggin' yah pardon..." Seed began with caution in his voice, "But who the hay are you? And how d'yah know mah name?" The bedraggled stallion chuckled and reached up to his face, sweeping his untamed mane out of his face.

"I guess it's been a while huh? Since I was at the library when you called for Archy each day..." Seed stared in astonishment, then looked to Archy who looked suddenly furious.
"He isn't a changeling before you ask." Dying Armour explained from his perch. "He's the genuine article."
"So YOU think!" Archy spat quickly. Seed couldn't help staring, seeing the hate in Archy's eyes, the anger, the denial. He wasn't surprised, for years Archy had spoken of making his father pay for leaving. Now the time had come, and the two were imprisoned together, it surely wasn't what Archy had dreamed of. Before the orange stallion could speak, a sudden shooting pain shot through his body. Crying out loud, he fell to his knees. Archy's anger vanished as he rushed to help his lifelong friend. "Careful! That way they remove the armour is pretty rough!"
"What?!?" Seed's head spun furiously to his back, sure enough his compact suit of armour had gone, replaced by a cuff and chain on one of his hind legs. His mood darkened fast, their best tool against Discord, the changelings, EVERYTHING! Was lost.

"The king has them." Thor disclaimed, catching Seed's attention. He too had no armour, he however had patches of fur missing, scratches and bruises all over his body. The pegasus stood and came to the bars of his cell. "They took me and you to a different room than the others, took our armour, then took us back, then to the king. He just chucked us in here and added the armour to his own little 'stash.'" Seed's jaw was gaping open, he'd missed all that? Really? Kartoruss must have really knocked him completely senseless! "You were out of it, so you didn't struggle..." Thor glanced over to his injuries coldly. Angy glanced over to Thor, since they had been captured he had seemed to be acting differently to his usual self. Quiet, depressed and distant. She reached up and tried to rest her hoof on the burgundy pegasus's shoulder. For a moment, the gesture went unacknowledged by the stallion, then without a word, he shrugged the hoof off and returned to his corner. Every silent step making another crack in Angy's surprised and shocked heart.

So they all stayed there, in silence, Thor and Angy; the heart broken lovers, Archy and Noteworthy; the estranged father and son, and Dying Armour and Apple Seed; the fighters stunned into silence until an opportunity arose.

They all stayed in their places.
Silently.
Worrying for Sweetness.
Silently.
Worrying for their loved ones.
Silently.
Worrying for Ruby.
Silently.

.....

Ruby kept her distance from the archway for a few hours, trying to understand the situation fully before rushing in.
She was alone. Possibly the weakest of the group. THE MOST USELESS OF THE ELEMENTS! With no knowledge of the interior of the mountain. All she knew was that they needed her! Her friends, Archy, Angy... Seed. She needed to help! Even if it meant wasting Seed's help earlier! Carefully, the unicorn began her stealthy assault on the unknown fortress! As quietly as possible, she weaved between the maze of boulders, keeping the archway's alcove in plain sight. As she came close to the opening before the arch. she heard somepony cough! She stopped and pressed herself to the nearest rock, listening furiously, her heart somewhere in her throat. Seconds later she heard gentle slow hoofsteps around the corner from where she was hiding. Fear chilled insides, making her muscles resist every small movement, but she needed to know where the pony was. So as slowly as possible, she peaked her face around the corner. Almost instantly she snapped it back in fear of how close the outer pony guard had been! Luckily his back had been turned.

Trying to calm her nerves, Ruby let out a long, deep, and controlled breath. When more relaxed she glanced out again, this time trying to find a way past the guard without raising the alarm. Then she spotted it, she knew the archers must have had a way to get on top of the archway, she only needed to find it! A small hole only big enough for a pony at a time, was visible just at the right corner of the archway... PERFECT! Concentrating, Ruby focused her magic and mentally pushed herself to the top of the arch with a teleport. Almost as soon as she reappeared, she heard the guard she had seen grunt. Clearly he had noticed either the noise, or maybe spotted a flash of light. Ruby didn't wait to find out, as quietly as she could, she stooped low and vanished into the gloom of the mountain's insides before she could be detected, intent on finding her friends.

.....

"So?" Note worthy asked, catching the silent group's attention. He had addressed his son who was clearly blanking the other stallion, focusing on the sky out the window of the other cell that Armour had recently vacated. When Archy showed no sign of responding, Noteworthy spoke again. Misery dripping of every word. "You said you'd listen, once your friends were with you!"
"Lis'n to what?" Seed asked, looking from one cellmate to the other.
"Why he's here." Archy said in barely more than a whisper. Instantly his eyes glistened with the promise of tears. "Why he left me and mum..."
"I NEVER MEANT TO BE GONE SO LONG!" Noteworthy exploded, running the short distance he could before the chains that held him stopped him.
"BUT YOU STILL WERE!" Archy shouted back equally as loud, springing to his hooves.

Seed's eyes widened in fear as he realised he stood right between the bickering two. Slowly he edged away to the bars of the cell, letting the two go at it alone. "If you'd wanted, you'd have just come home forget whatever the princess asked you to do!"
"Archy..." Noteworthy beseeched but before he could say anything else, his son shouted again, his eyes streaming with tears.
"Don't call me that! Only my friends call me that! You don't get to!"
"Archimedes..." Noteworthy amended. "The princess asked me to bridge the peace between Equestria and the outlands! I couldn't abandon it!"
"You were a singer!" Archy scoffed. "What could you have done to help?" Noteworthy stared for a moment, then quietly said.
"Music is one of the most important things in the world... It brought me and your mother together, it can change everything in one verse." The others glanced to Archy, who was stationary, his face unreadable. Inside his head he was a mess, this was the first time his father had mentioned him and his wife together, and the idea seemed to calm the storm inside Archy's head.

"I was sent to share our culture with the king. I came with a tapestry made by Ruby's mother, and food from Sweetness's parents, in an attempt to share some of our most important aspects of life with the outer ponies."
"We got here in three days...." Archy spat begrudgingly. The group nodded in agreement, not out of backing up Archy's argument, but simply agreeing with how his thoughts were forming. "So what about the rest?" He asked darkly. "What about every other day I grew up without a father?" Noteworthy sighed and looked away, defeat beginning to show.
"I never even had a chance..." The stallion growled. "The king threw me in here, said he 'Had enough allies.'" Archy's eyes softened, he'd guessed the stallion had been caught recently! It had never crossed his mind that the stallion would have been here for almost fifteen years...

"Those 'Allies' would have been us." Dying armour stated, attracting attention from everyone in the group. "Fifteen years? Sounds about right... yeah I'd say that's about the amount of time it's been since the treaty..."
"How do you remember?" Thor asked, if not a little too aggressively. "You couldn't have been much older than us!" Armour raised an eyebrow at Thor, surprised by his tone. Slowly, not breaking eye contact, he explained.
"Don't forget, I was conceived almost a month before your parents even started seeing each other!" Thor shut up, he'd forgotten how much this changeling knew about their lives and how unsettling that knowlege was. Satisfied he'd pacified Thor, Armour turned back to the group. "It was an act of faith. The heir to the changeling throne, to come and sign a treaty with the 'King of the mountain tops' on behalf of the queen."

"It was you..." Noteworthy exclaimed calmly, moving as close to the bars as possible. "That child, the day I was thrown in here! The changeling who looked like a colt and not a drone!" Armour's pale green eyes stared back for a moment, cold and unfeeling... then they broke, and concern shone through.
"Y-you?" Archy's neck snapped over to Dying Armour, shock riddling his body. "You came the day after the signing, and... you screamed for them!" He looked to Archy for a moment, true remorse in his gaze. "Your wife and son, you begged to be let go!"

Seed saw Archy's shocked eyes, blood shot and crying. Hearing this from someone who was so much more unbiased obviously made it harder for the unicorn to hear! Calmly, Seed came over and wrapped a hoof around his friend's shoulder, consoling the dark stallion before he would eventually have to speak again.
"I-I..." Armour stuttered as his eyes rounded as he lost himself in memories. Angy shuddered, to see the usually calm and calculating Armour suddenly become so overcome with emotion, it was terrifying. The changeling began to shake, then in a swoop of green flame, he shape shifted. After a second of bright fire, it dispersed and before them stood what looked like a six year old colt! The group all stared, astonished as they all marvelled at what was obviously what Armour had looked like when younger. His mane was shorter, just coming short of his shoulders, his horn was less lengthy and far more dull. But his eyes were the biggest difference. They were wide, round, and horrified! "I could smell it..." He said in a slightly higher voice, which rippled with a low tone beneath it. "The love you had for your wife and child... I didn't know... I didn't know who they were... back then."

"What happened?" Archy asked, still supported by Seed. Noteworthy opened his mouth but Archy held up his hoof. "I want to hear him say it!" The older stallion grew still and looked to Dying Armour, almost feeling as though he were back there, at that day his life was thrown away, just looking at those eyes.
"The king spoke to me..." Armour whispered, fear shaking through every word, it seemed that he wasn't only reflecting his appearance on that day, but every emotion he felt too. "I wanted to go home! To the hive, to play with my brothers and sisters but i had to be different, I was the heir, mother was relying on me." Angy reached to the shaking colt, unable to stop her mother's caring side coming out through herself.
"It's ok Armour..." She encouraged, it was hard to think this was the strong creature that saved her only a few hours ago! In his corner, Thor glared at the changeling. He wished he could put the creature through what he was causing the pegasus to feel! Every time he saw Angy and Armour together, or even close, made his skin crawl! Did she like Armour? Why? Why didn't she like him anymore? This what had been bothering him since their capture, and it was making him hate Dying Armour more and more with every second.

.....

Within the mountain, it seemed simple to move around for Ruby. From the opening, a single passage stretched deep into the mountain. It was crampt, cold and dusty. Each breath sent moredust and dirt rushing into her throat, threatening to force her to cough. When this happened she had to stop and lean against the wall, pushing her hooves to her mouth to supress the petty excuses of clearing her throat before moving on again. After several repetitions of this process, Ruby was ready to give up! As she stopped yet again, thinking to herself that any of the others would have done this with ease, her eyes squinted as it caught something bright in it's gaze. The cough died instantly as she focused. Her heart leapth with joy as she saw it was the opening of the tunnel, fire light flickering just outside it!

Ruby serged forward, spurred on by the knowlege she was making progress! As she approached however, she began to hear the muffled voices comming from whatever room lay at the end of the passage. slowing, she approached the opening with held breath. Two guards, sat by the fire, talking quietly with their backs to the tunnel. The hidden mare scanned the room quickly, praying for a way out! Then she spotted two beds. Thinking for a second, she realised the two guards must be perminantly posted here! If someone had been watching, they would have seen Ruby's eyes twinkle with an idea.

She'd noticed a barrel nearby -probably filled with supplies for the posted guards- and now she focused on it. Her horn began to sparkle and glow as the levitation spell took hold of the barrel. With the utmost care, Ruby began to move the barrel into position. Only a few seconds later, she was ready. The barrel levitated high above the two, ready to fall. One guard leant close to the other, reaching for something, now was her chance! Ending the spell, Ruby made the barrel drop and crash into the waiting heads of the guards.

To her delight, both guards crumpled to the floor out cold. The reinforced barrel hadn't even broken! The mare rushed out of her hiding spot and got to work fast. Using one spell, she sent the barrel back to it's corner. While simultaneously pulling back both bed sheets with two others and levitating the two unconscious guards into the now awaiting resting places.

Slipping the sheets over the unmoving bodies, Ruby smiled and rushed to the waiting door at the other end of the room. She saw a bright light reflect against the polished door other than that of the fire as she approached. Her heart plummeted, thinking she'd missed a guard, but as she turned and scanned the room frantically, she found no danger. Shaking her head, she dismissed the idea and just turned back to the door and slipped through it quietly. Happy she had taken the first step, and infiltrated the stronghold.

.....

"T-thank you." Armour squeaked in his unnatural voice, looking up at Angy before looking back to Noteworthy. "The king spoke, asking me what he should do..." Archy glanced to his father who nodded, his eyes silently begging to be believed. "He said I'd have to make these decisions one day... should he let the prisoner go, or throw him in the cells..." Armour shuddered, closing his eyes in regret, and with them closed he finished the story. "We needed a treaty to stand between us, so we could build an army. The king wanted to imprison the visitor, but I could smell what I would be throwing away, the most beautiful love I'd ever tasted."

Thor sat there, watching the colt struggling and he wanted to get a point against him! Without hesitation he simplified what Armour was trying to say. His words cut deep judging by the anguished face of the colt.
"You threw an innocent stallion in a cell so you got what you wanted."

SWOOOOOSSSHHHH!

The green flame plumed back into existence around Armour at his hooves. It rocketed up over his head, and when it passed, the old Dying Armour had returned, his eyes closed just like his younger form.
"Yes...that was... the first... the first of many sins in my life." Armour's green eyes opened, instantly focusing on Archimedes. The dark stallion locked gazes with him, the anger had vanished, years of it, all had evaporated beneath the light of the truth. "A-Archy... I... I know..." Armour's eyes seemed to threaten tears, had his transformation to a younger self momentarily broken usual stony and emotionless demeanour. "I know you must hate me, I took your father, ten years later I helped take your mother... Now my own mother is gone, all I can say is that... I feel your pain, your rage, your-"
"Forget it." Archy said strongly, Armour stopped his explanation and looked to the unicorn, who now came to his bars and reached across the narrow hall. "We're even, I didn't help your mother, I could have... but I didn't..." The remorse in armour's eyes was now mirrored in his distant relatives. "I've been mad for so long, but what point is there? It just destroys us... right?"

Armour frowned, trying to place this feeling he was experiencing, was this love? The kind from friendship? Slowly he made his way to the bars and reached out with his own hoof, placing it over Archy's.
"Right. Even." Armour agreed, a moment passed, then the two smiled. "You might not know... but I'm-"
"My cousin?" Everyone stared in amazement. Armour was the first to recover, closing his eyes, shaking his head slowly and chuckling.
"The element of knowledge indeed... yes, I am."
"So, we're blood!" Archy shook his hoof to re-obtain the changeling's attention. "We stand together right?"
"Right!" Armour agreed again. He smiled, feeling how he'd felt back at the hive. Because just like that... he had a family again.

The two's hooves dropped, and Archy turned to Noteworthy, Seed backed off again, hoping what he thought would happen, was about to.
"Right?" Archy repeated, asking his father, who stared with shock for a moment before smiling.
"Right." With that, Archy rushed to his father who had been gone for so long and hugged him. Just relieved that his father had been kept from him, and not that he had run away!

.....

For almost half an hour Ruby's journey through the mountain went unhindered. The paths all merged together into one large main path, a few attempts down the side passages taught Ruby that they only led to store rooms. Her best bet was the pathway cutting through the centre of the entire mountain. So far she'd come across no more guards besides the ones she had run across when exiting the tunnel. The lack of security un-nerved her slightly. Where were they? Almost in response to her thoughts, an explosion of laughter erupted from somewhere ahead. Ruby flinched; expecting somepony headed the opposite way down the hall. When no hoofsteps came her way, she squinted ahead and noticed an open door in the wall of the hallway. It's light spilling out into the dim space ahead.

Cautiously, Ruby made her way quietly to the door, her ears twitching for a hint at her friend's whereabouts. As she reached the opening in the wall she heard an unmistakable voice. Kartoruss!
"I'm telling you boys, this mare was good! Even for an Equestrian. Curves in all the right places, PLUS I'm pretty sure she was 'inexperienced' if you get what I mean!" With a shudder and the sudden taste of sick in her throat, Ruby realised the enemy captain was talking about her! "It's a shame most of the boys didn't make it, but they'd have told you the same, plus she was a fiery one! Some reel power in her, unbelievable aim with magic, you can tell she's got some pent up frustration, HA!" Kartoruss laughed maliciously, as did the rest of the group inside the room.

Ruby felt filthy just by listening to this. She wanted to jump in and fire a well aimed spell at Kartoruss's smug face, but she bit back, she had no idea how many others were in there, and she had a bigger job to do! This disgusting creature could wait.
"What about the other two then captain?" Asked a voice within the room. There was a noise of popping... a cork? They were drinking, this could work to Ruby's favour.
"Well the draconaquus bitch is off limits." Kartoruss explained. "Express orders from the king, she's expecting a visit from dear old daddy any second now!"

Sweetness. Ruby almost gasped, she had to bight down on her tongue to stop herself. Her father? Discord was coming? Ruby needed to find the others now, then they could be ready for when the draconaquus arrived! The mare then realised Kartoruss was still speaking.
"... But that yellow pegasus, she's ok, not even a consolation prize compared to the one that got away, but if you're interested, go take a look in the cells yourself, hurry though, that changeling seemed pretty close with her, they may decide to go at it before they die." Another chorus of laughs. The mare outside the room frowned, Angy and Armour? What about Thor?

The sound of wood scraping on the floor revealed that a guard was getting up. "I will I think, Equestrians know how to rut at least, it's all they've got going for them for them..."
"Here here Mortuss! Enjoy!" Kartoruss laughed. Moments later 'Mortuss' came into the hall. He began to take a step down the hall, then frowned. there was something different in the air... he looked towards the mountain entrance looking for anything out of the ordinary. After a moment of searching in the light of the doorway, Kartoruss cackled from within the room. "Come on Mortuss! You're not getting cold hooves are you?"

Mortuss snorted and began down the path, deeper into the mountain, to a triumphant laugh from Kartoruss. Back in the dark passage, a pair of green eyes leered out of the dark, watching the stallion headed to the cells and her friends.

Ruby emerged from her hiding place behind the outcropping of the rocky walls.
"Now where did I put that bottle?!" Kartoruss shouted. Ruby took the chance. By the sound of it, the other soldiers were focused on their captain, so if he wasn't focusing on the door, no one would be! With all the care she could muster, she leapt across the brightly lit doorway. Once she landed, she froze, her ears acting like radars, seeking any noise meaning she'd been spotted. When none came, she sighed gently, then quickly tiptoed after the departing stallion who would lead her to her friends.

.....

"Hello?" Sweetness screamed yet again as she had done for what felt like hours in this complete darkness. "Thor? Ruby? Angy? Anybody?" Nothing came back to her. She wriggle uncomfortably, struggling to move at all. Her limbs had been spread like a starfish. Her forelegs seemed to be reaching for the ceiling and her hind legs towards the ground, but it could be the other way in this total submerging blackness it was difficult to discern anything!

The pink pony gritted her teeth and pulled at her bindings, trying to spark her powers into life, but nothing happened. When her head began to pound hard, the mare stopped straining and released her breath in a pant.
"If only you were a little further along... Then you could be out of here in a snap." The echo of a pair of snapping fingers suddenly sounded all around Sweetness, and she froze.
"Pappa?" She whispered in sheer joy as she recognised the voice.
"Yes, it's me my little tar cake!" Sweetness smiled at her childhood pet name. Then frowned.
"Pappa? What did you mean 'Further along?'" The unseen draconequus chuckled, and the noise bounced all around Sweetness's ears, causing them to droop in pain. This wasn't right! This wasn't how her pappa made her feel! Why was he hurting her, even if it was in this little way...

"Your power, it's... a diluted version of a draconequus's... so like a developing draconequus cubling, your magic will evolve in the same way. Right now you can do anything... as long as you can see it. Hence the blindfold." The second it was mentioned, Sweetness felt the light material knotted at the back of her head, this explained the blackness that was all she could see. After the explanation, Discord said nothing. He simply waited for his scared daughter to speak.
"Pappa?"
"Hmm?"
"Can you take off this blindfold? Or let me down? I'm scared... that's why you came right? To save me and my friends?" There was silence again, then Discord chuckled gently.
"No, it's not why I came." Sweetness froze.
"B-but...you're my pappa!"
"Haha and that means what exactly? If I go by the examples I've been given by your friend's parents, I could either just vanish, having you never knowing me... Or just vanish when I see fit!"

Sweetness felt her eyes sting hard at the barbed comment. Her head lolled forward as her muscles numbed at her father's words.
"Pappa... What happened? D-did Mamma do something? Did I do something?" Tears began to pool in her eyes, they seeped into the material of the blindfold, spreading and soaking her eyelids. There was a sigh from ahead of her, bored and indifferent.
"No Sweetness... Neither of you DID anything, that's the problem, you were both so...boooooring! I do have a very short attention span you see... you should be happy it lasted as long as it did."

"That's not tr-ue!" Sweetness choked. Discord outright laughed this time.
"Oh really? Do you remember that picture your friend gave you?" Sweetness nodded, sniffing hard since she couldn't wipe her running nose. There was a moment of silence, then something flapped down by her ear, another pause then the sound of ripping paper exploded into life next to her. Sweetness knew it was the page Archy had given her. Not only had it been a gift from her missing friend, but also what was being destroyed was the bond in the picture, the bond of a father to his family!
"PAPPA STOP IT!" Sweetness screamed, her tears now dripping through the drenched blindfold to whatever floor lay below.
"Why?" Discord goaded, chuckling with delight at the torture he was causing the young mare.
"YOU'RE MAKING ME CRY!"
"And?" Sweetness choked on her sobs, her body shaking uncontrollably. The ripping noise ceased and in the following silence, Sweetness panted with shaking breaths. Her heart shattered, her mind racing and her soul crushed.

Then Discord ripped the picture again!

.....

"So Angy?" Seed asked briskly, bored of waiting. Archy had spent the past half hour regaling his father with the details of their journey, namely their objective and enemy. To save their parents, and to stop Discord. At the description of his betrayal, Noteworthy cursed the chimera's name.
"He always made me uneasy, the way he treated your mother... I knew there was still some of the old devil in him!" The group all agreed, before letting Archy fill in the last few details that had brought them here. Now the group stood waiting.

The yellow mare looked up at her cousin's voice, her mind far from their current situation, and focusing on a certain burgundy pegasus giving her the cold shoulder.
"Huh?" she asked, clearly confused.
"What's the plan? We're closer than ever before, we just need to get deeper into the mountain... right Armour?" The changeling nodded from the perch he'd returned to. "I can get us there, get us to the throne room and I can take you the way I took as a child."
"And that's where our amour is!" Archy added happily. "If we could get there and find them, by the time we found our parents we'd have a good chance!"
"There's just one problem huh Angy?" The group glanced to Thor, who miserably looked at his fellow pegasus. Angy stared with a questioning look. Thor locked her gaze, and coldly stated. "You've got no idea how to get us out of these cells... do you?" Angy's face flickered with doubt for a moment from her indignant stare, then it collapsed completely.
"No..." She muttered dejectedly. "I've got no idea!" Thor grumbled, bringing himself into a tighter ball and looked away from the mare, who in turn huffed angrily and flung her head in the opposite direction.

Seed stared at the two pegasy in amazement, he'd never heard Thor speak to Angy like that! He looked to Dying Armour for help, but the changeling was already focusing on the burgundy pegasus in the corner, a frown forming on his brow.

Hooves began to descend the steps just out of view. Seed and Armour were as close as they could be to the bars in an instant. Thor got to his hooves and took a few steps to get a view of whoever was coming. Moments later a guard came into view, his gaze scanning over each occupant in turn until they found Angelica who stood near the bars defiantly.
"Hmmm..." The guard smirked, coming closer to her cell.
"Kartoruss was right... You're not the best Equestrian I've ever seen, but not too bad!" His hoof shot through the bars and hooked around Angy's neck, dragging her nearer. Angy cried out in fear, her hooves flying up just in time to push against the bars to stop herself being injured. Armour lurched forward in disgust, stopped from coming to her aid by his chains.
"Now you..." The guard growled to Armour. "Back off! You'll have your little slut back soon!" He leant in and smelt Angy's yellow fur, causing her to squirm in discomfort as his rancid, alcoholic breath brushed her fur up gently. "We're going to have some time alone, aren't we pretty pegasus?"

BANG

Thor had hold of the stallion's scruff in seconds! Pulling him close to his own face between the bars. Angy, only inches away stared at the anger on Thor's face, so he did care?!?
"Don't you dare call Angy that! Or suggest that you'll do what you just said, EVER again! Or the only thing you'll have alone time with is your teeth as pick them up off the floor!" The drunken guard spluttered in shock, unable to move due to the awkward way Thor had pulled him in to against the bars.
"Ok, ok! You damn Equestrian, LET GO!" Thor did so instantly, letting the stallion fall backwards into the opposite cage. Seed wanted to grab him after how he just treated his cousin! He edged forward while the guard spluttered then his gaze fell back down in the direction he came from. "HEY WHAT THE HAY ARE YOU DOIN-" A large powerful spell interrupted the stallion as it hit him square in the chest and sent him rocketing down to the end of the hall where stopped with a loud and echoing crash.

"What the?" Archy cried in utter confusion, before the spell's caster came into view down the hall to his delight.
"RUBY?! HAHA!" Archy laughed. He was amazed by her calm demeanour after such talented spell work. What had happened since he'd been separated from her?
"Hey guys." The platinum pony smiled to them all. Then Angy gasped.
"Ruby!" She rasped, rubbing her sore neck. "Your flank!" The mare frowned for a moment, then investigated her rear, at which point her jaw dropped.

A quill, a box and a barrel, set in a triangle, all of them surrounded by the wavy cloud of magic of a unicorn. They were all emblazoned on both Ruby's flanks. Her cutiemark!
"You're growing up Ruby!" Archy laughed, the mare looked up and winked.
"Yet I'm already taller than you!"
"Great, woohoo, hurrah!" Armour shouted sarcastically. "Can we get out of here? Then we can celebrate in the catacombs." Ruby focused, knowing Armour was right. As the others watched, a pair of keys floated up from the floor. Ruby must have swiped them before the guard had come down.
"Impressive!" Thor laughed, unable to hold his astonishment at the sudden talent of the mare. Ruby nodded, happily accepting the compliment, then she proceeded to unlock the door to Archy and Seed's cage. When it was open Archy smiled.
"Pass us those keys, quick little Miss levitation." Ruby did as asked and threw them to the other unicorn, who caught them in his own dark cloud. Closing his eyes he concentrated, and with a pop the key quadrupled in quantity. Archy instantly tossed one back to Ruby, shot one to Armour through the bars for his chain, and passed the other two to Seed and Noteworthy.

Ruby rushed to use her key on the door of the other cell, by the time she unlocked it Dying Armour was free and shot into the hall. Everypony followed as he quickly shot for the stairs. Last to raise past the stationary Ruby was Archy and his father.
"Thanks Ruby! Come on Dad." Archy smiled as he ran past, ready to get some payback.
"Yes Ruby, thank you!" The older stallion cried as he followed his son.
"Wait? Uncle Noteworthy?!?" Ruby asked in astonishment.
"Long story. Tell you later." Archy shouted back as he vanished up the steps.

Ruby stared for a moment, then took a step after the others. It was then, that somepony spoke from behind her.
"You came back... I told you t' run..." The mare turned back to see Seed stood a foot away.
"O-oh..." Ruby blushed, noticing they were alone for the first time since Canterlot. "W-well, of course I came back." She reasoned. Seed took a half step towards her.
"You could have died! I got you out so you wouldn't." Ruby stared for a moment, then smiled.
"I know, but I had to come back, the stallion I like was stuck here..." It was Seed's turn to stare this time, then he gasped as he suddenly surged forward.
"You stupid girl." He grunted as he reached out to her, and she did the same and the two's lips met. Ruby's hoof travelled to Seed's mane and ran itself through the dark brown hair, roughling it up as she did, while Seed held Ruby's cheeks in his forehooves, holding her in place as he kissed her.

The two stayed connected, until Archy's head peaked out of the opening to the stairs.
"Ahem! We're waiting..." The two shot apart at Archy's voice. Both blushing before rushing for the staircase themselves.

.....

"Your friends only want you so they have a way to get to me."
"NO!"
"They need... Leverage... you for their parents."
"NO! They're my friends, they wouldn't-"
"It's a shame they don't know you mean nothing to me."
"STOP IT!" Sweetness was in pieces, her father hadn't only broken her heart in the past hour, but had taken the pieces and scattered them to the winds. Now all that was growing inside the small mare was anger, anger and hatred to the unseen draconequus.
"Maybe I'll take you away now, then finaly their parents... or them in front of their parents? Maybe-"

"STOP IT!"

BOOM

The blindfold tore away in the explosion of energy that burst from Sweetness, freeing her vision. For a second she saw a snaggletoothed smile and red eyes, before they faded into the shadows in the corner of the half lit room.

Sweetness lost herself in woe, she didn't think, she only had one purpose now. Escape.

Through scarlet eyes she looked to her forehooves and their full hoof bindings. Simply from her fiery gaze, the metal melted and dripped away. Without looking down, sweetness stepped forward, ignoring her defiance of gravity or the bindings around her hind legs. With the slightest effort, Sweetness' hind legs pushed clean through the cuffs as though they were made of tissue paper. Her mind clouding over in the all consuming world of her powers and her misery, she saw the door, and with a flick of her head it wrenched itself open and shot out into the hallway. The two guards on the other side had no warning before they were scooped up by the enormous door, and crushed against the opposite wall.

Gliding, like an ethereal ghost, Sweetness emerged from her prison and into the light of the hall. Her eyes no longer her kindly pink, but pure red, not just her irises, the entirety of both her eyes were a dreadful blood red.

As she hung in the air, her ears twitched, listening through over a mile worth of stone walls and halls. And in one of these halls, she heard the panicked noises of the outer pony guards.
"The prisoners have escaped! Protect the king! To the throne room, quickly now!" The altered pony cocked her head to one side, like a wild cat analyzing it's chances against its prey. 'Prisoners?' The animal that was her powers, didn't care for the creatures of this world. But amidst the anger and hateful screaming raging inside her mind, a voice, the old Sweetness cried out timidly. 'The others...' And although it was weak against the other voices of anger, cruelty and malice. the weak kind voice fought through them all.

Sweetness, though her face showed no emotion, leant low in the air, and with the dust pluming behind her, she streamed through the halls and corridors faster than sound!

Comments

[Spiderman here]

My god these ponies are ugly! Especially the one with blue mane!

[SuperPinkBrony12]

So Discord's plan was to make Sweetness angry in the hopes she'd do his dirty work for him. It's a pity really, he went about it the wrong way. He broke Sweetness with the truth, and thus he's just as vulernable to her wrath. He was right, he does have a short term memory.

[Justy]

Oh God please no.

EDIT: Holy mother of fuck, the author actually has a red and black OC ponysona.
Someone, please, kill me.

[Spiderman here]

3607359

had beautiful children.

beautiful children

beautiful

static2.fjcdn.com/comments/Are+you+serious+...+--+_7f66129a3fb01dbdeb06ea86b50edf91.jpg
Please you NEED to have a new image of the ponies. The image is one of the things that sparks the interest of a reader. I avoid most of the stories with a bad cover art because I know that the authors of these stories tend to be lazy and have little attention, whoever I only decided to ''try'' to read your story because of the likes. I suggest you to find a new better cover art because the characters are REALLY ugly on that one.
I hope you follow my advise. Have a great day sir
-Spider came here

[Lucky Seven]

A huge thank you to Inoeitall for creating the picture for this story!

Yes, Inoeitall. Thank you for assaulting our eyes with this atrocious cover art. I really suggest you find some new, good cover art. This is just nasty, and is going to turn away tons of people.

[nodamnbrakes]

[Radioactive Ultra Donkey]

3607891 I so printscreened your comment, oh my God. Your username, that avatar... My sides went to venus.

[Radioactive Ultra Donkey]

Oh God, I sense lots of rage and anger toward the author. Yes, much of that, indeed.
I'm out.

[Slick Dash]

3608141 Hey, don't sweat it, opinions are opinions, I don't take it as hate to me it's just towards the art, which I was planning on changing at some point. Just a bit disappointing that people seem to care more for the art than the writing.

[Spiderman here]

3608132 What a shame. My sides still on Earth. 0-media-cdn.foolz.us/ffuuka/board/tg/image/1359/44/1359449721146.jpg
-Spider man came here

[Spiderman here]

! They are everywhere
-Spider man came here

[Spiderman here]

3608617 The art incentive to read.
-Spiderman came here

[Spiderman here]

3607910

[MyLittleChangeling]

I'm sorry but the lack of grammar in this makes me want to cry. Please, PLEASE at least pre-read each chapter before uploading. That way you might gain more readers who are willing to read the entire story. You might want to consider getting someone to check your chapters over for you and point out mistakes. There was a lot of potential in this. I just wish it was maximized.

[WherePhilosophersFall]

1214271 "There is no banishing chaos, unless you think to slaughter every sentient being in the galaxy. We are the mirror of your souls, your hearts, your minds. Every nagging doubt, little lust and guilty thought. Every bullet fired and disease untreated. Your attempts at resistance serve only to strengthen us. But, oh, please never stop fighting. It would ruin -all- of the fun.."

[TheDreamActualizer]

For starters; GOD I LOVE THIS STORY!!!!!!
Before I say anything else I'll just apologize for how immature my comments on the first few chapters might have seemed/been
Anyways as I alluded to Earlier this is a killer story, and not just as a fanfic, I've loved reading it and I'm always psyched for the next chapter :)
The last thing i wanted to say was that I've noticed that your cover art has been reviving a lot of hate, now I don't know how attached you are to the one Inoeitall did for you but if your interested i would be more than happy to do some cover art for you (for free of course). I did this one for a friend a while back, but that was back when i was limited to Inkscape ( old cover work...) but I've gotten much better since then, and since getting photoshop ( example of current... abilities? )

But yeah, let me know if you're interested or not (letting me know on DeviantArt would be a lot quicker, but whatever works) and i look forward to ch 30!