Insurgence

by Rose Quill

Escape

I turned away as the amalgamated Twilight flared with bright white light, an aura that was punctured randomly by strobing flashes of other colors. Red flashed through, followed by orange, green, yellow, blue, purple, and finally rose pink.

When the glare died, Twilight stood there, her eyes hard with purpose. Her spectral wing was gone, replaced by a solid one, but the variegated hue of her coat remained.

“Twilight?” I asked hesitantly.

She nodded, a smile I associated with Sunshine on her face. “We’re both in here,” she said. “But we’re aware of which memories are which. We’ve made contact with Cadence.”

I perked up. “Do they have any idea what’s going on?” I asked.

“Not really, just that shielding effects can hold the spell at bay,” she said, levitating a from the countertop to the sink, filling it with water and gulping it down. “The Empire was coated in one after Chrysalis broke in and spirited away with Sorla.”

Applejack swore. Neither of her minds cared much for the unicorn after the attack.

“I also managed to confirm some of your theories,” Twilight continued. “Our bodies were spirited away to the Crystal Palace for protection, but we’re comatose while we’re on this side. Not really sure how to mend it, either.”

“Can you restore the other’s mentalities, like you have yours?” Lemon Zest asked. “It’s really hard to talk to friends that don’t know who they are.”

“I can try, and I have an idea,” she said as she looked at the bookshelf and pulled a white book from its top shelf, bringing it to Sunset.

It was a photo album, filled with pictures from their first date to both their weddings, the one officiated by Cadence and the one officiated by the Vice-principal of their school. She let the bewildered Alicorn gaze at the pictures, her hoof reaching out to touch them.

I always wondered why the portal didn’t alter inanimate objects like bits and photos but would produce or alter clothing. Something to check the library for, I suppose.

“This is my life,” she whispered to the amber pony. “With you and our friends on both sides of the portal.” She pointed at one photo.

“Remember that day?” she whispered still. “We must have waited in line for an hour just to ride the Ferris Wheel. And then it broke down just as we reached the top.” She smiled. “The view was amazing, you could see all of Canterlot City from there.”

A page was turned.

“I still can’t believe Daddy managed to get his thumb in on this one,” she said. I could dimly see the two of them standing in formal dresses, arms thrown over each other’s shoulders and the peace sign thrown up as they grinned madly at the camera. “But he was so proud of us. You cried when he said you could call him Dad. We were late to prom because of that, and Rarity had a fit about having to redo your makeup.”

“I did not,” Rarity huffed from the couch.

“And here,” Twilight continued, plucking a picture from the wall, one we had taken just after the graduation party and mirrored in Equestria after the wedding. Two photos, filled with smiling faces of all of us, both humanized and as ponies. “Our allies,” she said, looking at the Sirens. “Our friends,” she said, turning to Sunset. She reached out with a wingtip to tilt her gaze to the room, all of us in her field of vision.

“Our family.”

I could see realization start to settle into her head, but it was the type that you see when you remember only that you had forgotten something. Anger was there, and I recognized it from when she had returned from reducing Neighlin to a cinder.

“They stole my memories,” she growled. “My life!” her anger suddenly cooled as though a thought occurred to her.

“Nothing stays the same for long,” she whispered. “But when it changes doesn't mean it’s gone…”

“Time will always get away,” Twilight smiled as she began singing the words. “As it leaves behind another day.”

“Things may come and things may go,” Fluttershy sang.

“Some go fast and some go slow,” joined Rarity, and slowly AJ, Rainbow, and Pinkie took it up as well.

I looked on as soft colored light began to surround everypony as the song continued, all by myself and the students from Crystal Prep joining in. Twilight shut her eyes and her horn began to glow, and a small chest floated from the bedroom, two pendants being removed. For the first time, I recognized the ring surrounding the Alicorn’s horn near the base, gold with a cage of silver filigree.

The Sirens began singing as well, wordless harmonies filtering up beneath the song like a choir doing an a capella arrangement of a song. The pendants were fastened by Twilight around her and Sunset’s necks, suddenly flashing with lavender and red lights, Sunset’s eyes bursting with white light. The light spread out to encompass the room, forcing me to squeeze my eyes shut again.

But I could feel the pulse of magic within, and it felt familiar.

It felt hot.

It felt angry.

---

Celestia leaped to her hooves as each of the Element bearers sat upright and their eyes burst forth with white light.

“What’s happening, sister?” Luna asked as she raced into the room.

“Transdimensional magic,” the Daytime Diarch said. “Similar to when we gave our power to Twilight to thwart Tirek.”

“Then our friends yet live?”

“I believe so, Luna,” she said, turning to look for a physician or nurse as the glows faded and the bodies fell back to their berths.

***

Chrysalis faltered in her flight as a wash of unfamiliar mana thread it's way through her senses. She had found Canterlot just as devoid of life as Ponyville, and was making her way north.

But this mana was streaking towards the small country village. Why would mana be channeled there unless…

Grinning, she turned around. There must be more to the tiny village than simpletons and a gaudy castle.

And she intended to rip every rock up until she found it.

---

“Try it, but slowly,” Amara said. “This is Changeling magic you’re doing. It’s going to feel different.”

I nodded, trying to focus my magic. My head burned as I suffused my horn with mana, using the spell the deposed queen had taught me to regenerate my horn. It hurt, and by the time I was done, I’m fairly sure I passed out for a few moments.

When I came to, I felt a little more whole for the first time in months.

“Good, good!” said the rough voice. “Now, do it again, but this time focus inward. You can’t force your eyes to heal no matter what, but you can use them. Concentrate.”

I took a deep breath, remembering a mantra taught to me by a tutor once, long ago.

You do not cast with your horn, for those that cast with their horn has forgotten the value of the spell. You cast with your mind and heart as one…

Power ripped through my horn, and turned inward as I released it. Mana flooded me, filling my being and overflowing from me. I opened my eyes, and I could see.

Loosely speaking, of course, my eyes were still far too damaged to function properly. But I could see ghostly images around me, all suffused with my mana, creating a monochromatic image in my mind. I wasn’t able to make out fine details, but I could see the chips in my hooves and the shape of the spells branded onto my flanks over my cutie mark. Spells of channeling and forbearance. I couldn’t use magic against any Changelings that might attack, but I doubted I’d be able to fight and maintain this spell at the same time anyway.

“I can feel your magic,” Amara said. “So it must have worked. Now get me out of these chains already. I have a Hive to recapture.”

I focused on the chains, my vision narrowing into just the cell I was in. A few seconds later, the deposed Queen stood, her spindly legs sporting more holes and gouges than what looked natural for one of her kind.

“I will give you directions to leave this place,” she said. “One tunnel we always kept stationary for those above to use. It is no more than three furlongs hence down the left-hand way.” She stalked to the door, her wings buzzing angrily. “I need another favor,” she said.

“What?”

“I need to feed on some of your ambition and pride,” she said, closing her eyes. “I’ll need the food to remain strong enough to take charge.”

I shifted uneasily, but she had restored a manner of sight to me.

“Don’t be too long to decide,” she rasped.

“Do it,” I whispered. I had barely spoken when I felt the tendrils in my mind again, seeing the ghostly shape of a proboscis distend from her shape and attach itself to my chest. As soon as I felt the drain, it was gone, as though it had never been there.

“I wish I had chosen a different place for my hive,” she lamented for a moment as she easily blasted the door open. “History might have been different.”

As she turned to face the oncoming guards, I turned left and fled down the hall and found a tunnel that was hewn instead of naturally occurring. Into it I went, its gradual incline and fresher air indicating that it was leading me to the surface.

I skidded to a stop when I found the tunnel partially blocked by collapsed stonework. Several black vines with wicked thorns lay dried in the rubble. I cast forward with my new sight and framed the picture clearly in my mind and teleported past the barricade.

I found myself outside a run-down castle, surrounded by trees and plants of unusual kinds. I looked at the edifice, memory dredging up what it used to look like, towers tall and unadorned, one to each end of the courtyard, one capped with a sunburst, the other with a moon amongst clouds.

I turned my back on the Castle of the Two Sisters and began galloping through the forest. I had to find someone not under the effects of the spell and explain to them how to dispell it.

I was ready for my punishment anyway.

Author's Note:

The mantra Sorla remembers here is inspired by the Gunslinger's creed from Stephen King's Dark Tower series:

I do not aim with my hand; He who aims with his hand has forgotten the face of his father. I aim with my eye.

I do not shoot with my hand; He who shoots with his hand has forgotten the face of his father. I shoot with my mind.

I do not kill with my gun; He who kills with his gun has forgotten the face of his father. I kill with my heart.

Comments

[Fangren]

You, uh, messed up on a tag there near the start of the Sorla section...

[Rose Quill]

8397395

Shhh....*clicks the edit button*

Other than that, though?

[Fangren]

8397536
Well, it's nice to have things moving along. Not much else to say, well-written as always.

[avidreader07]

I recognized the gunslinger's creed immediately. I love those books, by the way--the movie's an okay way to spend a couple hours, but not as good, in my opinion. In fact, when i first read it, i had to stop for a minute to just marvel at it. I was like, 'Did you just...The Dark Tower❔ No...no, you didn't. You did❕ You magnificent SOB‼

That alone has earned this story a thumbs up.