Heart of Light

by TheCrimsonDM

Chapter Fourteen: Crimson Moon

Heart of Light

Chapter Fourteen: Crimson Moon

Written by TheCrimsonDM

“This will be the last trip you go on?” Maud asked.

Valiant stood outside next to Twilight who was trying to offer as kind a smile as she could to help improve Maud’s opinion of the adventure. Twilight of course was the one to answer. “Yes, at least this is the last one for the Seeker’s Archive. I promise that I won’t let anything happen to your daughter.”

Maud gave her a flat look that could be interpreted as skeptical. “If she’s hurt, I will hunt you down and break all of your legs.”

The light vanished from Twilight’s face. “O-of course, and you’d be right to do so. I swear that she will be just fine.”

Maud than looked down at Valiant. “You stay safe, and don’t let Twilight drag you into any trouble.”

Valiant nodded. Of course if Twilight needs me I will do whatever I can to assist, even if that’s not much.

It wasn’t much, but Valiant did hug her mom before going back to Twilight’s side. The trip to Unicorn Range would not be a long one, even though the search for the archive could take all night. The spell to teleport the pair over to the archive was already being charged up before Valiant was even halfway done waving at Maud. She wished she could have seen Trixie off too, but Trixie was off somewhere with Amber, likely helping the little filly learn magic. The world vanished in pink blinding light and Valiant felt the ground beneath her slip away.

An instant later she blinked, hard earth was under her hooves. Wheat grass tickled her legs, and before her stretched an endless plain of various types of grass. Where she stood the grass was all yellow, but a little ways away the grass changed to green then blue and finally purple, behind her the grass was red. She was standing in a plain of rainbow colored grass.

“It really is nice here,” Twilight said. She inhaled deeply. “It smells like home.”

Valiant inhaled too, but found that it smelled fairly normal except for a small odd scent that smelled like a tingling sensation. Valiant thought it better not to question that line of logic. She’d smelled this before when she visited the most magical place in Equestria, Canterlot. It was due to all the magical energy the unicorns were always emitting, and considering that the popularity of Canterlot was mostly unicorns, it always smelled tingly.

“Shall we make camp than, wait for nightfall when we can do some exploring?” Twilight asked.

Valiant smiled and nodded. This is going to be fun.

***

This is most certainly not fun.

Valiant clung to the back of Twilight Sparkle as the princess galloped for all she was worth. Behind them the shrieks were growing louder. She had hardly anytime at all to see what was actually happening before Twilight threw her onto her back and galloped like mad as their camp had been destroyed.

When Valiant looked back she could see a giant flower rising out of the ground, its stem was as large as Valiant was and the flower head larger still. It limped to the side, facing the two and then the flower separated to reveal a gaping maw filled with razor sharp thorns. Valiant swallowed hard as it began writhing toward them like a snake.

“What the hay is that?” Valiant cried.

“I call it Floral Graboid, and it is one of the most dangerous creatures I’ve ever encountered. Even two alicorn princesses were not enough to kill a fully grown version of one. Though this seems to be a baby, it is still very dangerous.” Twilight looked up at the moon and stars. “It shouldn’t even be active during the day time. Or even be here. What is going on?”

That was a question best saved for after Twilight and Valiant Heart got away. Three vine like tongues whipped out at the pair, and Valiant ducked her head as one swung right over her. It missed Twilight by an inch. Twilight continued galloping but the thing wasn’t losing any traction any time soon.

“Darn it!” Twilight cursed. “I can’t afford to use any of my alicorn magic on this thing, I’ve been trying to build it up for the past two days.”

Valiant looked back at the monster. “What do we do?”

“I’d be flying away right now but considering my distinct lack of wings I can’t very well do that.”

That gave Valiant an idea to work with. She pulled her eye patch up and looked around. “Boulder Dash, you there?”

“Whose where now?” Twilight asked.

Valiant ignored Twilight and focused on the colt’s voice that came popping into her head. “Thought you might not want to see me again.”

“Why?”

“Because now you know why I’m the one following you.”

Valiant frowned. “Yeah… I do. Still, that makes me your adopted sister right?”

“in a way, yes.”

“Good, now make me fly.”

The light began filling Valiant’s chest all over again, her body took on a soft white glow and the runes appeared all over her body. She looked back at the monster that was following them and even though it had no eyes to see it had to be chasing after them somehow. Valiant jumped off of Twilight’s back, for a split second she wasn’t sure if she would manage to pull it off a second time, but when her body flew up into the air, she was sure of it. She knew how to fly.

It was easier this time to fly besides Twilight, and since Twilight had already seen her in flight it wasn’t as surprising. Still Twilight looked more or less astounded to see Valiant flying beside her. Now it was time to do something to get past this giant beastie.

“Okay, I’m flying, now what?” Valiant asked.

“Keep flying, that’s what.” Twilight said. The Star blade was drawn from its sheath and Twilight spun around. The three tongues came flying at her with wicked fast speed, but Twilight deftly cut through them as she galloped toward the floral graboid.

For a moment Valiant watched in horror as the thing opened its maw impossibly wide. Wide enough to swallow even Twilight in one bite. There was a flash of light and the thing slammed into the earth with enough force to dig a trench as it continued moving forward. Another flash of light appeared on top of its back. Twilight had teleported and her sword was fast at work cutting at the base of the floral graboid’s neck. One, two, and three whacks to the floral graboid’s neck and its body jerked to a stop, yet its head went rolling forward without stopping for a good thirty feet.

Twilight jumped off its back and landed on the ground. Her blade was stained in thick green goop. One cleaning spell later and the it reflected the beauty of the night sky above them once again. Valiant landed next to Twilight, the flying magic in her was turned off though she could still feel Boulder’s energy inside of her.

“You could have killed it just like that?” Valiant asked.

“Not with you on my back,” Twilight said. “One false step and you’d be taking the brunt of the damage.”

Valiant scowled. “Why didn’t you just throw me off of you then?”

“Because it would have gone after you first, easier pray.”

“I am not easy pray.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “I’m sorry, but I just killed the monster. I saved us. What’s the problem?”

“The problem is that you keep saving us,” Valiant said.

“So I should have just let the thing eat you? Is that what you’re saying? What about those alicorns? Should I have just let them have destroy the train too?”

“No! You shouldn’t have!” Valiant felt the anger bubbling up inside of her. “But I want to help. I can help too.”

“I don’t doubt that, but you’re not a fighter.”

“And neither are you.”

Twilight frowned and looked at the ground beneath her hooves. The blue rocks shone with some sort of inner light which cast strange shadows around them. “I… I shouldn’t be a fighter. But I am. When you are trained by a princess who drops an infant on you at the age of nine, than forces you to do special training missions against diamond dog raiders at fifteen, and then sends you out after a dragon at age eighteen. Not to mention the likes of Nightmare Moon, Discord, and Lord freaking Tirek, you… you change. I tried so hard to stay kind, young, and soft, but I couldn’t do that and keep the ponies I love safe.”

Valiant lowered her head. “I… I want to be like you. I don’t want to be useless, waiting for ponies to come and rescue me. That only… gets me hurt.”

“Trust me, Val. You are far from useless, and you don’t need rescuing anymore. But don’t mistake the gift of having strong friends by your side for the inability to defend yourself.” Twilight gave a tender look to Valiant.

“I… I guess you’re right, I’m sorry. I just got upset because I thought I was going to be able to help you, and you took that away from me again. I’m being selfish.”

Twilight smiled. “And I’m sorry that I haven’t given you the opportunity to help me yet. How about I fix that in the future?”

A new voice appeared from off to their side. It was a mare’s voice. “How about I fix that for you right now?”

Valiant and Twilight both jerked their heads to the side. An old ruined house stood without its roof. Two alicorns stood on top of the roof. Both of them had white coats, but one had stylish short cut purple hair, and the other’s was long and red. Between them stood a cat licking its paw and brushing its fur back.

“We meet again,” Lavender said in his playful voice.

Twilight blinked at them. “I’m… sorry.”

Rose frowned. “Oh so you’re so scared of us you’re apologizing early. Too bad, but if our worm friend can’t destroy you princess, than we simply will have to put the work in ourselves.”

Twilight shook her head. “No, what I mean is that I don’t recall meeting you two before.”

Lavender’s eyes widened. “What?”

Rose scowled. “Of course she does, she is only trying to rile us.”

“Um,” Twilight interrupted, “I think I’d know if I was lying or not. Now tell me who you are, and why you sent a floral graboid after me.”

Lavender’s eyes became glossy. “She really doesn’t remember us.”

Rose shook her head. “Fine, if you’re so forgetful than this will be easier than last time. Though this does allow us to reintroduce ourselves.”

“She doesn’t remember me,” Lavender all but cried.

“Prepare for trouble,” Rose said.

“And, sniff, make it double,” Lavender added.

“To protect the world from devastation.”

“To unite, sniffle, all races within one nation.”

“To denounce the evils of truth and love.”

“To expand our reach to the stars above, hic.”

“Rose.”

“L-Lavender.”

“Surrender now.”

“Or prepare to fi- oh just remember me already!”

Rose facehoofed. “You had one job to do.”

Lavender leaned over the edge of the roof. “Remember me!”

Twilight cocked her head to the side. “I’m… sorry. Wait, were you part of Maggy’s Amazing Circus? The magicians right?”

Lavender leaned over even more. “No! On the darn train, with the sleeping ponies, and the city, and, and-“ He leaned over further still.

Rose’s eyes went wide. “Lavender, stop!”

Lavender leaned too far and fell off the edge of the roof. He landed on the ground with a cry of pain. It was only a moment later that Rose was ready to jump down when the entire building collapsed underneath her. She screamed in fear as she was pinned underneath the ruins. The cat on the other hoof had managed to jump off in time and landed next to the unconscious Lavender.

Twilight walked up to Rose and grinned. “I’m sorry, I still can’t remember who you are. But I’m sorry you have the worst luck around here.”

Rose growled. “You did this on purpose. You evil, manipulating, cunning, sly, evil, witch.”

Twilight turned around and flicked her tail. “I’m sorry, I don’t waste my time talking to red headed step foals. Valiant, let’s go.”

Valiant followed Twilight. They left the scene with Rose screaming some of the worst obscenities that Valiant had ever heard, some of them she didn’t even know, but she dared not repeat them. The cat just sat around licking itself leisurely. It would seem that this battle at least was over.

At least until they saw a third alicorn. This yellow mare with the blood red mane so long that it almost touched the ground gave a level orange eyed stare at Twilight. She wore dark crimson armor which could have been painted from the blood of her enemies, and her blasphemous cutie mark was that of a single drop of blood. Neither one of them moved as the mare seemingly appeared out of thin air, only to watch Twilight with great interest.

For a long moment nopony spoke, and only the wind rustling the tall grass broke the silence. The tension grew so thick that Valiant could cut it with a knife. It felt like she was staring death itself right in the face. She was wrong, going on adventures with Twilight was a bad idea, she shouldn’t have done this.

“Red Velvet,” Twilight said the name as though it was a poisonous thing that she had to spit out of her mouth.

That made the alicorn smile. “Oh, I see you do remember me.”

“You shot my princess, and ripped my friend’s wings out,” Twilight spat.

Red’s smile only grew. “I did not rip her wings out. They dissolved when I took my alicorn magic back from her. It was no different than what happened when Celestia shoved three alicorns worth of magic into you.”

“I had a choice!”

“Did you?”

Twilight bit her lip. “What do you want?”

“Well I’m already queen of the Alicorn Empire, so I have already gotten that which I wanted. Still that means certain things fall under my responsibility. Such as punishing disobedient youths. Those two behind you have single hoofedly tried to start a war between our two kingdoms. That, I cannot allow.”

“What will you do to them?”

Red smiled as she walked past them. “That is none of your business. Now head off to your archive, before another one of my old friends finds and destroys it.”

“Why don’t you stop her,” Twilight said, turning to keep an eye on Red the entire time. Twilight had moved between Valiant and Red to keep the filly safely behind her, though it did nothing to ease Valiant’s fearful heart.

“Because she is not my problem. The Archive is just ahead, marked by glowing stones, even you can’t miss them, Twilight.”

The pair did nothing but watch as Red went to her alicorn subjects, wrapped them up in a scarlet aura, cat included, and then vanished in a flash of light. For several minutes neither Twilight nor Valiant spoke or moved. And when Twilight did she turned back toward the way Red had came and marched with heavy steps.

“Val,” Twilight said in a serious tone.

Valiant still couldn’t speak after the encounter with Red Velvet.

“You are forbidden from ever telling anypony about this encounter. Not even Maud or Trixie are allowed to know that we met with Red Velvet tonight.”

Valiant didn’t speak but she nodded grimly. After all the best that could be hoped for if this ever got to light was that she would be grounded from ever seeing Twilight again, though much more likely, Trixie and Maud would move as far away from Twilight as possible.

It was better to move on and pretend this never happened.