The Stars Will Aid Their Escape

by Drhoz

The Neighcronomicon

Trixie vanished. So did the book. The flash of teleportation was dazzlingly bright, and the stink of ozone almost overwhelmed the reek of the creatures. Pinkie Pie blinked in surprise. "Where'd she go? Did you teleport her off to magic pony hospital, Princess?"

Luna looked as startled as Twilight. "No... that was not magic of our devising, Pinkamena Pie. "

Twilight stamped a hoof. "That's not fair! It took me years to get that good at apportation! How'd she learn how to do it that well?"

Rainbow looked around. "Well, she missed one - look out!"

The final abomination seemed to recover from the shock of losing its mistress, and attempted to take out its frustration on the alicorn and pony. Fortunately, with the four Bearers, two Nightguard, and an alicorn to contend with, it was mere moments until it was magically pinned in place and howling in impotent rage. Luna's own barrier was advanced enough to maintain without her constant attention, although the deep blue glow seemed as cold as interstellar space. The creature pooled itself at the center of the sphere, sullenly bubbling, flesh flowing from one shape to another as it probed against the walls of its magical cage.

"Stormwall! Downburst! Circle Ponyville one league out. She cannot have travelled far. When you find her, maintain your distance and send Stormwall back to inform me." The two night-stallions nodded fiercely, saluted, and took off to patrol with a flap of membranous wings. She turned to the ponies, which now included those who had begun to creep back into town as soon as the screaming had stopped. The other residents bowed before the Princess, then turned to the sad task of picking through the wreckage.

Twilight was almost in tears - not only had she failed to protect the town, but all her careful preparations for the upcoming eclipse celebration – and the town hall - had been destroyed. Pinkie sympathized, one foreleg over the unicorn's shoulder. "It’s okay, Twilight - we can always have the party outside. And it's not like Ponyville hasn't been wrecked by monsters before!"

Twilight Sparkle looked up at the alicorn, eyes watering. "I'm sorry, Princess. I wanted everything to be perfect for your eclipse, and now it's all been ruined. And I couldn't stop Trixie's creatures from destroying all those homes."

Luna's heart almost broke, to see the lavender unicorn so miserable - Twilight had been so kind to her in the past, saving her from her madness as the Mare in the Moon, and later when she was still adjusting to society after her long banishment - that Twilight thought she had failed was almost too much to bear. She was not the beloved mentor her sister was, but she reached out to brush the tear from the other mare's cheek. "Twilight Sparkle - nopony thinks you have failed. Everypony knows you have worked so hard for the well-being of all of Equestria, and that you would never shirk your duty. Do any of the ponies here look like they blame you? You have put yourself in danger on their behalf so many times, and they love and admire you for it." She nuzzled Twilight's mane. "And fret not about the eclipse. My sister and I will make sure this celebration will be remembered for another thousand years, regardless of the action of some mad mare, and you will stand beside us in Canterlot as our beloved friend when it takes place."

"Thank-you, Princess" breathed the unicorn, and looked up at the alicorn with slightly happier eyes.

Applejack seethed. "Trixie is doing to have heck to pay when we catch up her. Her dang monsters have gone and wrecked a good half-dozen livelihoods."

Luna's reply was deadly serious "The danger she poses may be worse then you realise, Mistress Applejack. Twilight Sparkle - may we use your library to discuss the situation? There are things I must tell you and the other Bearers, where they will not alarm the other ponies."

"Um, yes, that should be alright, your majesty - Rarity and Fluttershy should already be there." She paused, and blushed "It might be a bit messy..."

Luna smiled, and bent down to nuzzle the pony's ear affectionately. "Twilight Sparkle, thou art our sister's faithful student, and thou art our friend - how messy would your library have to be to startle us?”

***

"I don't know how she can live with all this ... clutter" moaned Rarity. Spike had already had to sweep one stack of books off of the couch, so Rarity had had room to collapse after her dash to the Library.

"Oh, it's not so bad, Rarity" replied Fluttershy gently "Twilight has been very busy preparing for the eclipse banquet, and you know she likes everything be perfect."

Rarity nodded, reluctantly. "I suppose so, Fluttershy dear - but how can she ever find the book she needs in all this?"

This provoked a slightly bitter laugh from Spike, before he got control of himself. "Um, more tea, Rarity?"

"No thank you, Spike, but it was very thoughtful of you to offer. I should be helping you two finding all those books Twilight wanted."

"I hope they're all alright out there..." murmured the pegasus, as she hung by a window and peered into the darkness alongside Twilight’s owl.

"Who?" hooted Owloysius.

“Twilight a- gah! He gets me every time!” answered Spike. Fluttershy managed a little giggle.

“I’m fairly sure that was Princess Luna earlier.” theorized Rarity. “They must have everything is under control now.”

Fluttershy nodded, still a little uncertain “I just hope that nopony has been hurt... that creature that came into town first seemed to be really... mean.”

Spike tried to cheer her up “Well, maybe the rest of them are nicer?”

The two mares exchanged a dubious glance “I hope so, Spike sweety, but I’m certain I don’t want any of them around here. Ugh, that smell!”

“Woo!” hooted Owloysius.

“Oh! Rarity, Spike! It’s Applejack and everypony, they’re all alright! And the Princess is with them!”

The other four bearers were subdued, exhausted, and resolute, when they entered the library, and the Night Princess barely noticed the clutter of books after she ducked to follow them inside. Her expression was distant, as she debated how best to explain her suspicions to the ponies.

"Did you stop those awful things? We could hear all the commotion even from back here."

Twilight shook her head. "Sort of. The Princess did most of the work, really, but Trixie apported away at the last minute."

"At least she took most of her tree-critters with her." added Applejack, darkly, still planning the kind of welcome party Trixie would get if she turned up again.

"Oh. Well, I know you did your best - you wouldn't have left the rest of us in any danger, Twilight." murmured Fluttershy, and earned a grateful nuzzle from her friend.

Luna tapped her hoof. "I wish I could say you were safe now, Fluttershy. But if the book Beatrice possessed is what I now fear, she may unleash more than tree creatures upon Equestria. We must find her."

"What's the matter Princess?" asked Dash, as she circled the room "What kind of damage can a book do?"

Luna's answer was solemn "If it was written by whom I suspect, then thousands of ponies may die. Or worse."

The six Bearers and Spike stared, appalled. Even Owlysius forwent his usual "Who?"

"Thou.... thousands?" stammered Fluttershy.

"Killed?! What kind of book are we talking about here, Princess?" shouted Applejack.

Luna held up a hoof. "I am not certain. All I know is the mark on the cover, and my suspicions about the magic the mare Beatrice used. I cannot even say if it is the author I fear - I had believed all his research lost in the... disaster. But if it is the work of Ivory Tower, and Ivory Tower's work is what summoned those creatures to Ponyville, than no-one in Equestria is safe until Beatrice is captured."

Twilight looked stunned.

"But... but... I've never heard of anypony called Ivory Tower. When did he do this research?"

Luna looked out the window, at the distant silver stars. "Long ago. Very long ago. After Celestia and I defeated Discord, and we strove to rebuild an Equestria free of his tyranny. My sister encouraged the unicorn to explore a theory he had discovered... but we thought he had been killed by something he disturbed. I... suspect... he may have had a larger role in the disaster, now. Many ponies were killed. Far too many. Even now, it chills my blood to think of it."

“What... what are we gonna do, Princess? I know Trixie’s a pain in the patootie, but I can’t believe she’d want to kill thousands of ponies..”

“She may not mean to, Mistress Applejack. I do not believe Ivory Tower ever did, either. Nonetheless...” she turned to Spike. “May I requisition your service, dragon? I must inform my sister of this discovery. I fear she will be... upset.”

“Oh, of course, Princess! I’ll get some more parchment!” the little dragon hurried off to search the stacks.

There was an urgent knock at the door. One of the pegasi Twilight had dispatched to warn the surrounding farms, had arrived, and her brow was furrowed with deep concern. “Hey, is... oh! Princess!” She managed a quick mid-air bow. “Uh – “

Twilight recognized the expression “Cloudkicker? Is something wrong? Was there a problem out at one of the farms?”

“Uh, yeah. I was just out at Sweet Apple Acres – “

Next to her, Applejack and Rarity suddenly tensed.

“ – and Big Macintosh was already out looking for Apple Bloom and her friends. You got any idea where they are? He was really worried when I told him about the tree things... why are you looking at me like that? Did I say something wrong?”

Applejack and Rarity’s expressions changed to stricken. Dash look confused, until she realized the implications.

Fluttershy looked around at her friends, and understood. “Oh no....”

Comments

[Mr. Grimm]

Ivory Tower? I'm guessing that he calls himself Herald now...

He must be pretty old for Luna to remember him. But of course, whatever drove him mad must be keeping him alive somehow. Or half alive, perhaps...

[Drhoz]

1050574 Interesting guess :)

[TheNecromencer]

Good chapter!
I hope your next update will be sooner. I can't wait to know what will happen!

I like the way you changed the name of the author of the book, it not only being a ponyfied version of the original. There is still an Arabian feel to it and I can't stop thinking about the tower of babel.

Also I really like this part:
"'And fret not about the eclipse. My sister and I will make sure this celebration will be remembered for another thousand years,"

It will be remembered but not for the reason they think!

[Drhoz]

1052810 *nods* I'm having great fun thinking up double meanings of dialogue, especially Herald's.

Sorry about the delay in updates, been a bit busy over here.

[Moosetasm]

1050574
His other monikers are things like “Halter of the Dark,” “The Black Neighroh,” “The Bloody Wagon-Tongue,” etc.