Chapter 56: Final Countdown
Twilight's eyes darted between the soldier and his weapon, eyes narrowing. If it were anything like the ones the other humans used, it couldn't be terribly threatening. But killing one of the guards here would not improve their odds to negotiate a peaceful release.
"We're not a threat to you," she said, turning her hands toward him. Her other friends all followed suit, freezing in place. "We've come to talk about the baby you're holding downstairs. Nopony has to get hurt."
Twilight couldn't possibly miss the recognition on his face. He tried to hide it, gesturing angrily with the gun. "The three of you, by the gate. Any sudden moves, and I shoot you. Get where I can watch you, then I'll call down."
Twilight did, moving slowly towards the wrapped-chain gate that separated the top of the hill from the wilderness around it.
"I don't see the point of this," Rainbow muttered. "It's not like we're leaving without Flurry. When do the hooves fly?"
Twilight stiffened at the expression, but forced herself to remain calm. "Any creature who takes hostages has shown how far they will go," she said. "By definition, they threaten the lives of an innocent creature. Many are willing to kill their victim, rather than let them escape."
Rainbow paled, but didn't object further. Applejack, by contrast, only watched. She looked between the alien and his little security shed, maybe noticing the same thing Twilight did. There wasn't anyone inside.
"You reckon that thing is dangerous?" Applejack asked. "I could take him, even stretched out and monkified. Say when."
"We're talking first," Twilight whispered back. "There's a chance they'll try to move Flurry again, but not without getting past us."
"Quit that," the alien said. "Don't think I can't see you whispering over there. Stand still, I promise I can still kill one of you with my phone in the other hand. You don't want to risk it could be you."
"Don't need to be so unreasonable about it," Applejack called. "We're waitin'."
He lifted something small and rectangular from his pocket, the same shape Twilight had seen from several of the aliens in their world. He touched it a few times, then held it up to his head. "Yes, Akiko. Perimeter alert. Three, uh... fucking weirdos just showed up, want to talk about a baby with whoever is in charge here."
He paused, as though actually speaking to someone. Obviously he is, somehow. We underestimated how much magic they would have protecting Flurry.
"Right, ma'am. I'll tell them."
He held the object out towards them in one hand, stretching it as far away as he could. At the same time, he kept the weapon trained on Twilight's chest with his other hand. "You want to talk to our boss? She's waiting."
"Finally," Rainbow said. "We don't have all day here."
Twilight glared sideways at Rainbow, before stepping forward with her hand outstretched. She took the rectangle, then looked back at the guard. He retreated a few nervous steps, out of reach. Whatever he heard made him more afraid of us than he was before. Why?
She opened her mouth to ask how the magic worked, but then the box started talking, and she didn't have to.
"Don't waste my time," it said, in a voice so similar to Twilight's own that Rainbow and Applejack shared a confused glance. "Whatever Order you're from, there's nothing you could offer me worth more than the specimen. I'm not beholden to your authority. I won't be intimidated away from my research. I promise that any attempt to penetrate my sanctum by force will result in the destruction of your target. You may kill me, but you may not have the specimen."
Applejack pawed angrily at the ground. The gesture did seem somewhat strained with alien shoes instead of hooves to do it with.
She's open with her threats. She isn't even pretending to kindness or decency. It was exactly the worst kind of enemy. Now why did she sound so much like Twilight?
"We are not from an Order," she said. "My friends and I represent the universe she was taken from. Return Flurry Heart to us, and you may name your price in exchange."
The guard laughed, and his aim suffered for it. The voice in his magical device did not.
"Any price I wish?" asked the speaker. "Powers from another universe... How did you follow her here? There are infinitely many possible worlds. Even the finest tracking spell would leave thousands to search."
"There were thousands to search," Twilight said. "The foal you have hostage is the heir of an empire. Her mother would rather negotiate her peaceful return. You walk away from this with magical wealth, and she gets her daughter."
There was a much longer silence this time. While the voice didn't answer, Twilight heard something moving under their feet, something strained and mechanical. But she couldn't identify it, and soon enough the sound faded.
"The simplest exchange would be another of her species, but I realize I already have that. There's no reason for this to come to violence, when we can resolve this like civilized folk. In exchange for the heir, I wish for... Aperion. Do you know of it?"
Her friends looked baffled, as of course they would. Twilight was far more confused by the tone, and why an alien world would use the same terms for so much magic. "We could not make very much, or very quickly. How much?"
"We could negotiate installments," the voice answered. "I wouldn't return the hostage until I was paid, but until then... I would let you send inspectors, to verify her health, and even to stay and help care for her if you wish. Say, one kilogram. That's the mass of one liter of water if you—" She stopped abruptly. "Foolish, that's just another unit in our measurement system."
Twilight didn't know how much a liter was, but from the tone the speaker used, she didn't need to know. To her knowledge, only Starswirl had ever created the strange meta-material, in quantities so low that he had invented a microscope to observe them.
Even if the Crystal Empire devoted itself to making nothing else, it would take years. "Your request overestimates our abilities," Twilight said. "Faust-steel isn't something we can make like you ask. But we could offer you many other things in exchange. Gold, gemstones, thaumic crystals. Crafted spells, airships. The Crystal Empire is wealthy."
She said she had her own subject. That's the alien who helped Flurry. We can't leave them behind. "And... we can't leave our own kind imprisoned here. We would need the baby's caregiver as well."
The silence stretched on even longer this time. While they waited, a door in the mountain opened. A dozen humans appeared from within, pouring out. Every one of them aimed their weapons at Twilight and her friends.
"Or..." said the rectangle. "I could acquire a few more subjects. A native of your universe old enough to speak will be a far more useful specimen. Don't bother threatening me—I know how hard the universal barrier is to cross. The Body Invisible won't tolerate an invasion." The device clicked, then went silent.
Twilight had only moments to process what to do. If they didn't surrender, would the unknown enemy who waited below kill Flurry?
No, not if she was so unwilling to trade with outsiders. She'd threatened that option if they tried to fight their way in.
But what if we don't have to fight our way in? Their enemy had given them a far simpler option. She wanted new specimens. That alien had no idea what she was dealing with. "We surrender!" Twilight yelled, holding her hands higher over her head.
Kyle had high hopes for her grandfather's capabilities now that he had been restored. Taking away the spell wouldn't make him a good person—he'd probably never been one, or anything close. But he was skilled, and he cared about his family. She could ask for nothing more.
Then came the buzzing and grinding sound of the interior gate opening. Kyle considered briefly passing Fay to her sister before investigating it—but Kara didn't really have anything she could do to keep Fay safe. Akiko had magic, and Kara just had her size.
"Together," she said, resolved. "No more letting them walk all over us."
Kara nodded her agreement. She touched one hoof to Kyle's shoulder. "If we have to fight?"
Kyle's horn lit up, as she prepared her simple attacking spell. Without instruction, Fay settled on her back, pressing herself flat. "You know how afraid we are," Kyle whispered. "You're in the right place. Stay with me, Fay. I'll protect you."
She led the way into the office, and wasn't surprised to find Akiko waiting there, with a bundle under one arm. There were no guards, no soldiers—not even Grandpa.
"Glad to see you're both doing well," she said. "It's come to my attention that my position here may be untenable. If we're going to get you out of this safely, I need you to follow me."
"Where's Grandpa?" Kara asked, with a tone of forced casualness. "He said he was gonna talk with you. If we're in danger, shouldn't he be helping us?"
Akiko's face twitched. "He's been indisposed. Ordinary people don't react well to magical exposure, even if they understand the power of magic on an intellectual level. He'll need time to recover—too long to help. But he left me instructions to get you all out of here safely. Follow me."
She pointed through the opening behind her, into her lab. There's no exit down there. There's only one way out, and it opens at the front of our enclosure.
Kyle followed. It didn't matter how confident Akiko sounded, though she made no obvious signs she was lying to them. "Where will we go?" she asked, following Akiko. She slowed near her computer, before levitating it up into the air beside her. "Another safehouse?"
"Something like that," Akiko said. "We'll ride you there safely, don't worry." Her eyes lingered near the laptop, but she ultimately just shrugged and started walking again. She put her back to the two of them, apparently convinced. It's now or never.
We're getting out, all right. Just not with you. Kyle conjured the weaker of her two attacking spells, aiming it squarely at Akiko’s retreating back.
Sirens began to blare, and lights started flashing. Kyle's spell flashed and glowed through the air, leaving a nimbus trail of purple light leading directly back to her.
The bundle under Akiko's arm flashed and glowed, surrounding her with an envelope of force in an eyeblink. The spell struck it, echoing like a gunshot all around them. But she didn't fall, didn't even flinch.
Kyle ground her teeth together, and stopped restraining herself. She called on the stronger force spell, the one that went off like a gun. This time a bubble of light solidified around Akiko, briefly obscuring her as the attack struck. Fay whimpered and started to sniff, obviously frightened.
Akiko spun slowly in place, tossing aside the cloth concealing what she had brought. It was a spell, a complex mechanism of wire and crystal about the size of a softball. She held it by a precision grip milled around the outer edge, protecting her fingers from the glowing orange filaments deeper within.
"If you're quite finished," she said, her tone only annoyed. She took a single step towards them, holding the sphere out in front of her this time. "Practicing magic in secret was one thing—I might not have noticed. But undoing my work right in front of me? Monday taught you well."
How do you know that name? Kyle lashed out again, one final, desperate strike. The air chilled around her, a few nearby lights exploded, and force shot out of her horn like a lance.
This time Akiko reacted. She flicked her hands through the air in a swift, purposeful movement—and vanished, dodging out of the way of the attack. It struck the cement wall behind her, cracking instantly. The damage spread several feet in all directions, before the chunks sloughed off the wall.
She reappeared a second later, slightly to the left. She removed one hand from her pocket—not with a gun, but something worse. A radio. She held the button down, then spoke loudly enough for them to hear. "I'm coming down to the lab. If I don't arrive in three minutes, kill the captured mage. Then collapse the entrance."
"Understood, ma'am," answered a brusque voice. "What about the crew coming down from the surface, with the intruders?"
"You heard my orders," Akiko said. "If you don't see me in three minutes, detonate the entrance."
"Yes ma'am," the voice answered.
"So you see," she said, pocketing it. "Attack me again if you wish. But it isn't just my life you're taking. Your erstwhile instructor will die, then you'll be trapped down here to waste away. I suggest you follow me: it's a long way to walk."
"How do you know about Monday?" Kyle asked, not even trying to restrain her anger anymore.
"My perimeter guards caught her yesterday, sneaking onto the grounds. Brought down two men before I was able to intervene. I assure you, the security force is eager to even the score with her. But cooperate, and no one dies. Come with me."
Kyle had no choice but to follow.
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You know.... Akiko... I would like to call you so many things right now, who are not nice. But I really hope, old lady Karma, will come around to you soon.
CRAPS GETTING REAL.
You reap what you sow Akiko. And I don't think you will like the bill you are racking up.
10560177
gotta admit she has one hell of a poker face if she does know they escaped at that point in the story.
Ohdaaaaamn
10560177
Yeah Cadance will come
Wow, this specie that can ignore basic laws of magic have tracked us down across infinite universes.
But surly they can't invade, I have more faith in the body invisible then fear an unknown that has baffled me twice.
I'm pretty sure Akiko is lying about having captured Monday. My guess is that she only knows about her having intercepted some of Kyle's communications, perhaps even only having just noticed after losing control of Edgar, and is just trying to make her captives despair so that they will be more willing to cooperate. Of course, I could be mistaken. If she is present, I look forward to the inevitable interaction between Monday and Twilight, being masters of different world's versions of magic, and likely to be allies, at least against Akiko.
10560267
My guess is she thinks Twilight is Monday, or is conflating them on purpose for the purpose of her explanations here.
Twilight seemed to be able to keep her head cool. That was good. However, I hope she has one or two backup plans in store.
And now it really gets intense. No more hidden tricks or lies. The battle is about to begin.
If you're unsure of the enemy's capabilities, never ever underestimate them.
Oh no.
Whatever Aperion is, it gonna make Akiko's power plays far more dangerous.
Technically not one of yours and Akiko knows it. It would be rather strange in negotiations to get involved in what's more or less an Earth affair, even if the cause was from the alien baby and the mother of the pony in question requested help. Don't even know if Cadance would allow that condition if it hinders Flurry's freedom. She's rather unhinged at that point.
Infiltration's an option. Just gonna have to break down any magical cages Akiko puts you in.
So is Monday Sunset or alternate version Sunset? Maybe even Starlight? We got alternate evil Twilight here after all.
Oh hey, seems like that theory actually panned out.
This is going to get very interesting. And complicated. I don't think anyone involved has an accurate assessment of anyone else's capabilities. It's under- and overestimations across the board. This will be quite the spectacle, especially when the captured Equestrians turn into full-sized horses and start really wreaking havoc.
uh-oh, did Twilight just accidently war?
And so, za Vor begins!
Rainbow isn't entirely wrong. Akiko has very little concept of what she's doing to herself. She is giving Equestria and Empire very, VERY little reason not to kill her. It's true that the ponies obviously have no real clue what humans are capable of, but that goes both ways. It's likewise obvious that Akiko is actively antagonizing an enemy without any idea of their numbers, weapons, or how far they're willing to go.
SHE’S A MAD SCIENTIST!!!
Also reminds me of the furious 5 vs. Tilung in Kung Fu Panda.
2:51
You have 47 minutes before an army comes busting down you're door...
"Oh yeah, it's all coming together."
Welp, there goes my theory of Akiko actually being pre-reform Sunset Shimmer.
Akiko...Akiko...Akiko. *shakes head slowly* Tsk tsk tsk. You have seen what Flurry Heart, essentially a baby demigod, can do, now you have in your presence what is in essence a full grown demigod who is also the very Element of Magic herself and even with all of your power and skill, you will soon find that you are little more than an ant standing before an elephant. Before you try and take her on, ask yourself, have you taken on the power of three demigods, super kamehameha waved a demon-centaur jacked up on all three tribes of pony magic and chaos magic, gave that power up then went full super pony demigod when an all powerful tree that is essentially the physical form of a supreme god gave you and five others the ability to fire a multi-thousand terawatt super rainbow laser death beam of friendship? No? Are you the personal protege', the close friend and the sister-in-law of three demigods? No? Then I suggest that you surrender now, return Flurry Heart to her family, allow the demigod in your presence to transform those people back and throw yourself on the mercy of the four pony demigods. If you're lucky, you might just find yourself confined for a decade in Tartarus or a couple of centuries as a statue, if you're really lucky Twilight will take you on as her student and personal maid servant (Spike could use a go-fer), however if you draw their ire, you may find yourself having a new semi-permanent home on the sun or moon(and hope it's the pony sun or moon where their magic might actually keep you alive).
10560294
I thought that too, but...
...kind of makes it clear that she's talking about a different intruder.
That statement works both ways, ya know.
She's either going to suffer or get swated so fast she won't even notice it. And the fallout will make any occult power make very clear guidelines that ANY lost extra dimensional is to be treated as a refugee and well cared for - a second Flurry Event will likely be impossible to hide and cause so much destruction that no one will EVER be allowed to try it again.
10560483
Right now being the key words.
when it come's to blows i want twilight to say "wow and i thought you are a powerfull mage"
i bet twiggle is expecting akiko to be as powerfull as starlight
Fucking evil minion. Hope you get your ass squished.
I hope they all die, too.
This plot point bothers me. Where exactly was it that Monday was given the moniker of being female? I always thought it was an ambiguous identity, Monday had, without any information that would reveal their identity to Kyle.
on the one hand I want twilight and co. to see how “weak” humans are and how technologically advanced they are to make up for their shortcomings in the physical body department, on the other I want Akiko to see what a true mage and veritable demigod Twilight is.
10560263
Rank arrogance is one of Akiko's always-on spells.
10560556
Or she's bluffing. She could know about Monday, and being aware of Twilight arriving (but not knowing her name), decides to lie and say Monday was by earlier.
10560556
OR she is trying mind games that Monday/Twilight isn't as nice as they might be thinking. Add some potential danger to the mix so they don't just trust Monday right out of the gate.
10560398
Actually Akiko likely thinks the powers that be, while not being on her side exactly, would unify to repel what is conceived of as an invasion from another world, which is pretty much what it would be if Cadance took a full battalion of ponies through the gate. At that level of distraction, she would be free to act.
10536310
DEFINITELY called this one. All they did was put everything back in Akiko's court. Letting grandfather go back to Akiko was a horrible mistake.
10561169
10561124
So basically confusing Twilight for Monday somehow AND wanting to paint Monday in a bad light? I thought the first part was unlikely, given the ponies with Twilight, but then I double-checked the last chapter. Seems I misread the plan, so she did NOT have ponies with her. Thus, I can see your suggestion as a possibility.
10560898
Good.
Has this gone bats? I thought two of them was plenty. Three of the same person...
I'd say it was transparent not to undo whatever magic spell was on the ole man and subsequently allow him to their presence for a moment. In what manner would anypo-- anybody consider this remotely wise?
Have Sunny about. She'd not fall into any such obvious traps, and reads people like an inspector. It'd take a machine to bamboozle this one.
Too many powerful hostages, Akiko has bitten off way more than she can chew here. Even with her being human Twilight.
10560969
Just skimmed through the rest of the story. Doesn't look like Monday has previously been mentioned with a gender. But it's entirely plausible for Monday to have attempted infiltrating the compound, god caught, and used the same "Monday" alias when interrogated.
10562734
See, I may only now be mentioning this issue with that plot point, but in previous chapters, Kyle has been referring to Monday as a she.
Early on, I thought that Monday was supposed to be a stand in for ‘Anon’, who is usually portrayed as a guy, but without any indication of what their gender is, I just saw Kyle referring to the character as female. I’m just confused as to where that piece of information was revealed.
10562738
No, the prose refers to Kyle as "she" while Kyle talks about Monday. Kyle uses "they" as a pronoun for Monday.
10562906
My argument, though a bit hyperbolic, was more about how that even by pony standards, the power of an alicorn is more akin to a demigod or even a godling, regardless if you adhere to the camp that they are not immortal just long-lived, functionally immortal(i.e. time and disease may touch them but they can still be slain) or truly immortal.
10561771
Are you suggesting they bring Sunset Shimmer along for her special mind-reading abilities?
10562916
It's a tricky question all we know from canon is Twilight blew up, apepared in a magical corridor with images of her life and then reformed from magic. Which does admitedly argue for true immortal not just long life. On the other hoof as it were we've never really seen an alicorn in a situation they should have died.
10562748
This excerpt from Chapter 51:
10562944
Sunset can do that?
10564523
Did you watch Equestria Girls: Legend of Everfree?
https://mlp.fandom.com/wiki/Sunset_Shimmer
10564539
Ah I see now. No I only ever watched the first one. The EQG series doesn't interest me very much.
10564546
The Equestria Girls series got better as time went on. Rainbow Rocks, Legend of Everfree, and Forgotten Friendship are the best, and have some great songs in them. If nothing else, consider reading the plot summaries of them on the wiki, and maybe listen to the songs on YouTube, out of context.
10562944
Not only that, name one pony who's spent years in a human body. Save her. You're not going to spend four years or more in an alien body and not become accustomed to it, colour be damned.
10562255
It would be really dangerous, but they could entice her with magic knowledge to move to Equestria, but along with the magic teach her friendship too.
Twilight was highly receptive of friendship lessons originally, it may also be true with her alter ego, but Earth is not populated by naive ponies, so she never had the change to form those bonds.