Chapter 105: Sanctuary
Sassi’s heart felt like it was encased in ice.
After crying for a short time, Astral had recovered enough for them to keep moving. He only answered in a few words, the stallion completely out of it and barely able to walk in a straight line. It took a few reassurances to convince him that everything was real.
“Do you see anything odd now?” Sassi asked, the stallion making a soft grunt.
“You look horrible,” he said, then looking away. “Skeletal. No flesh.”
“That’s…wow. Ok, let’s just get to clean air,” the mare said. “Just remember I’m real. I’ll let you know if there are any hazards you need to watch out for. Everything else you can blame on the gas.”
“Got it. Everything is fuzzy. Can’t focus. Tired.”
His voice was almost monotone, but a solid undercurrent of fear was ever-present. The stallion looked at her constantly, as if reassuring himself that she was present.
What did you go through in there, Astral?
She wanted nothing more than to hug him, but the dark tunnels were hardly the time or place for it.
“Contact coming along the opposite wall. Just stay still and let it pass,” she said.
The two waited, a Squirmy clambering past without a pause.
“That was real? Weird blob creature?” Astral asked as they continued onwards.
“Yep. Looks like a fleshy water balloon. I called it a Squirmy. It has some smaller scout forms embedded in its back. Nasty coconut-shaped things but easy to kill.”
Astral nodded, the stallion tottering on his hooves. An alert popped up in Sassi’s HUD, and the mare frowned.
‘Warning. Blood toxicity levels rising in primary user. Toxins match air contaminants. Recommend immediate action. Clean environment needed before additional medical countermeasures can be utilized. Secondary user maintaining nominal levels of blood toxicity.’
“We’ve got to get out of here,” Sassi whispered, Astral simply letting out another grunt as he followed her. Informing him of the danger was a double-edged sword. The mare wanted to make sure he was up to date with things, but at the same time, he was barely hanging on to lucidity as it was.
At least her own body was able to purge the toxins. The two of them hallucinating would not be a good thing indeed.
Sassi led them back to what she had hoped was an exit. It was one of four doors that branched out from the main tunnel that encircled the testing area.
“Is that a pool of acid?” Astral asked, staring at a portion of the floor in front of them.
“Nope. Just fleshy nastiness,” Sassi proclaimed, walking in front of him. “See?”
“You’re melting.”
The mare bit her lip as Astral looked away, armor shifting as he shuddered.
“Well, I can safely say I’m not melting right now. Just walk towards me,” she reassured him. The stallion nodded, cautiously walking forwards and hissing.
“Feels cold.”
“The gas is a partial nerve agent if I had to guess. Hallucinations can be perceptions too.”
“Ok.”
The monotone response made Sassi’s skin crawl with anxiety. The stallion she loved was utterly buried underneath whatever had occurred in the testing chamber.
Just around the next corner…
She froze, a shadow moving in front of them. It was like one of the first mutants they had faced. Even with the infrared, the creature’s body soaked up all methods of illumination. Gangly limbs gripped the hive tunnels, claws ripping into the fleshy material.
A long neck turned to look at Sassi, and she heard Astral whimper behind her as two eyes locked onto her, then focusing on him.
“Real?” the stallion asked, swaying on his hooves.
Sassi snarled as the miniguns sped up.
“Real. And that means it can die.”
The cannons roared, the projectiles smacking the new creature in the face. It reeled backward, gathering on an opposite wall. It dodged another burst of fire from Sassi, angling to try and attack Astral.
The hundreds of magical bullets Sassi sent its way seemed to cut off that idea. Even if they mostly bounced off the creature’s armored torso, the mare saw a few shots dig into the joints with a meaty spurt of flesh. Angling the guns, Sassi tried to track the creature’s head as it scrambled, darting forward before then retreating repeatedly.
It jumped again, focused on the compromised stallion behind the mare. Astral didn’t fire, but considering how much his weapons wavered back and forth, that was a good thing.
As it jumped again, the miniguns roared at Sassi’s side. The ammo counter ticked ever-lower, and the mare made a split-second decision.
“You can’t have him!” she snarled, the mare’s hoof snapping through the air.
The creature paused as the dual cannon shots smacked it in the neck, letting out a hiss as it looked at the knife buried up to the hilt in its shoulder.
It gathered itself for another leap, but Sassi could only smirk as she threw the pin from a grenade at it, turning to cover Astral.
The detonation shook the tunnel, the creature letting out a pained shriek as it sped away. Black blood coated the walls along with a fair bit of shadowy flesh and fungal armor. Yet even as the long-necked mutant retreated, a distant, almost demonic laugh echoed behind it.
Time to go.
“You faced that before?” Sassi asked as they crept forwards towards the door.
“In the maze. Hunted me.”
“Well, glad I could give it an explosive present; glad I grabbed extra knives and grenades. Let’s get out of here.”
Sassi took a look at the massive hive growths in front of the doors and frowned. Burning might set the entire thing on fire, and she didn’t want to attract any more attention. Oddly, the gunfire hadn’t drawn any more creatures. Whether that was a good sign or a bad one, she didn’t know.
Well, knife it is.
It took a few moments of hacking, but Sassi finally ripped the bulbous fibers and growths aside. Forcing open the door, she glanced down the hall and allowed herself a soft sigh of relief.
Clear.
The hive tunnel didn’t release its occupants without a fight, however. Just as they stepped forwards, a piece of the fleshy ceiling gave way, apparently having been held up by the growths Sassi had torn down.
Sassi let out a displeased hiss, the two of them covered in a pile of gooey something. The matter dissolved fairly quickly into a green sludge, thankfully, but it still dripped off them in buckets.
“You alright, Astral?”
The stallion shrugged, barely reacting to the slime that coated his armor.
“No. But still here.”
His response was an even bigger red flag for the mare. The HUD pulsed; a wireframe map slowly being formed. It led deeper into the Silo, quite a bit of unknown space still being present. But the path wrapped towards some plainer labs, and then eventually to the prisoner block.
More importantly, there was a clear decontamination area a few halls away.
She was about to joke with Astral about that shower, but seeing him barely manage to put one hoof in front of the other made the words turn to ash on her tongue. The mare hadn’t seen her stallion so beaten down. All she wanted to do was wrap her stallion up in a hug and never let him go…
But the Silos denies her even that.
“We’re getting close, Astral. There’s a decon area up ahead. That means an airlock. Even if it’s destroyed, there are a few other smaller ones nearby.”
“Sounds good.”
The monotone reply tore at Sassi’s heart.
Hang in there, Astral!
She locked the doors behind them, lodging a few pieces of debris in the joints to further seal it. Hardly perfect, but it’d take a lot more effort to get through those doors now.
The tiled hall was lined with glass windows overlooking rooms to their left and right. Thankfully, it just showed empty office areas with barely any of the hive matter. There were a few patches, but it clearly had stayed mostly confined to the prior area.
“Almost there. You still with me, Astral?” Sassi asked, her head on a swivel. As unsettling as Astral’s condition was, this was familiar. Escorting a high-value target through the Silo.
She could do that.
“Yup.”
I’d keep him talking, but not sure if that’d do more harm than good.
A warmth blossomed in Sassi’s chest as they rounded the corner. A beautifully-intact decontamination chamber dominated the hall ahead of them. There were bright lights beyond it, and the massive door slid open as they got close.
“Almost there. We’ll need to run a few cycles. One with the armor on, then armor off,” Sassi explained. “We definitely want to get all this gunk off of us.”
The decontamination chamber must have been shielded or marked a boundary point because Sassi felt their hive link re-establish as soon as the door slid shut. A screen to their left snapped on, displaying the decontamination status.
‘Stage 1. Replacing toxic atmosphere. Remove contaminated filters when prompted.’
“Sas?” Astral whispered, his tone terrified but carrying the slightest bit of hope. Nauseating levels of fear and anxiety saturated their renewed link, but it faded ever so slightly as he wobbled to her side.”
“I’m here, Astral. I can sense you now too,” Sassi said, adjusting her visor so she could see out of it. The stallion did the same. Even though he looked awful, there was a bit more life starting to return to his eyes.
He nodded, Sassi then gesturing to the helmet as the screen flashed.
“Dump the filters in your suit. We’ll replace them when we’re out of here. Air is clean.”
They took the items out, setting them into a negative-pressure container as fresh air filled their lungs.
“I feel weird,” Astral muttered.
“You’ve been drugged for hours. You’re probably going to crash, so just hang in there. Hallucinogens can really mess with you,” Sassi explained, the stallion nodding.
“That long?”
“Yes, that long. You don’t need to talk, Astral. We’ll decon and then use some meds to get the toxins out of us. There should be a secure place we can crash for a bit, and then actually get a shower with decent-smelling soap.”
Astral locked his legs, swaying on his hooves as jets of mist coursed over the pair.
“Can barely stand. But feel clearer.”
“It’s still in your blood, but it likely wasn’t made to linger. Just be present for an experiment and then get out of your system.”
“Huh.”
The decontamination ran for multiple cycles. It was a good ten minutes before the system deemed then clean enough to proceed. Apparently, whatever they had been covered in had tripped every hazardous sensor the apparatus had. After the first cycle, they had been told to remove all armor and put it in a separate container.
Thankfully, the RASP AI confirmed that it would survive and not be damaged. That’d have been bad indeed.
Their fur sticking out at all angles from the repeated rinsing, soaping, and blow-drying, the two Thestral walked out of the chamber. Sassi immediately retrieved a cleaned chaingun, strapping it on with her helmet.
It was a sealed area that was supposed to be safe. But she still wanted to sweep it, AI confirmation or not.
“Stay here, Astral. I’m just checking the rooms,” Sassi said, the other Thestral nodding. Thankfully, the hallway was a straight shot; each room directly branching off. She could see the entirety of each room by just opening the door. A second decontamination chamber was at the end of the hall; this must be a small stopping point between hazardous areas.
Thankfully due to the layout, the mare could keep an eye on Astral after each room was cleared. She did detect a bit of happy amusement as he watched her, already swaying on his hooves. Their link was still a bit odd. Fear, confusion, but now genuine happiness. It was a small spark, but very much there.
The poor stallion was still a mess, even if feeling better. Sassi didn’t miss how the Thestral glanced over her with the hint of a nervous smile.
Well, he was definitely feeling good enough to appreciate her not having any armor on.
The small mess area, showers, sleeping facility, supply room, and security station were completely clear. Not even a speck of blood was visible. A RASP scan indicated the water filters for this section were intact, so that was a bonus.
“It’s clear; this way Astral. Some cots are over on your right,” Sassi called. “AI, can you lock this place down? Seal it and alert us if anything even touches the doors?”
‘Interfacing with wireless systems…error. Require direct access to security station. Insert data storage device into the nearest console.’
A small, recessed chip popped out of the helmet, Sassi letting out a surprised huff.
“…didn’t know it could do that,” she muttered. The security room was small with only a single weapons locker, two desks, and a large console with multiple monitors. It was easy enough to find where to put the data chip.
‘Access confirmed. Locking decontamination chambers. Other systems available for interface. Proceed with collection for potential control of systems?’
“Do it. Anything that can be controlled, put backdoor access in. Doors, decontamination, weapons, security, and even a coffee machine. Make sure you can control everything in our path if possible.”
‘Confirmed.’
“Let us know if anything tries to break in.”
The HUD chimed, Sassi ferrying their armor and weapons into the simple sleeping area. Astral was already flopped onto a military cot. There were three other beds, and a few lockers for supplies along with a table and a simple eating area.
“Astral? Are you…” her voice drifted off, the stallion’s sides rising and falling slowly as he mumbled.
Wow. Not even a pillow or blanket? He’s out cold.
Sassi only now felt the tension start to ease from her heart as the mare looked down at the sleeping stallion. She gently reached a hoof to rest against his cheek, taking a few slow, deep breaths to reassure herself.
He’s ok.
She went back to the decontamination chamber and located two syringes. They were part of the standard kit to take after being exposed to something nasty. It’d bind with the toxin and then carry it out of your system. Unfortunately, it usually carried nutrients as well, so eating afterward was highly recommended.
Unpleasant, but effective.
Astral didn’t even flinch as the mare gave him a shot in the shoulder, then did the same for herself. She doubted there’d be any side effects on her end. Even if there were, she’d been through it before.
Now taking some time to set their gear into two piles, Sassi located some necessities for sleep. Putting a pillow under Astral’s head and covering him with a blanket, the mare dragged a cot over to be next to his. Another sweep of the area, and she had the AI kill the lights outside of the room. The less attention, the better.
Double-checking the RASP reactor settings, Sassi shoved some metal into the guns to start processing more ammunition. The drawers from various cabinets would have to do.
She then flopped onto the cot, taking a few deep breaths. It took a while, but the mare finally let herself relax as her stallion slept peacefully at her side.
Safe.
“Thank you for extending your stay, Tanzil,” Twilight sighed as they walked the halls of the castle. “Obviously, there have been a few developments.”
“Indeed. But it’s no trouble at all. I enjoy the change Equestria offers,” the gryphon Emperor said, “and the pleasant company.”
The slight glance out of the corner of his eye with a grin made Twilight smile, a bit of heat rising to her cheeks. It wasn’t an overtly flirty gesture. But considering their agreed-on date, it was enough. She just wasn’t used to being the target. Not in a genuine way like this.
After comforting Twilight on his first day here, Tanzil had simply dropped the matter. He didn’t need to know the details, only that his friend was in trouble. That alone was worth its weight in gold for Twilight and showed that there was a lot more social tact underneath the gryphon’s feathers than many would expect.
“So, there’s someone here you wanted me to meet?” she asked.
“Yes. She’s…well, I would say she’s my adopted niece, but that’s not accurate,” the Emperor admitted. “She’s one of the most capable mages I’ve ever seen. She had a difficult family situation, so I helped coach her through her studies. I treat her like family at least.”
“That’s rather sweet of you,” the Princess said with a smile. “I’ve thought of doing something like that. Like Celestia did with me.”
“It gives a good learning experience for sure…ah! There she is,” Tanzil said.
Not seeing them, the gryphoness stifled a yawn, ruffling her feathers. She was of fairly average build, the lithe muscle showing the gryphoness wasn’t averse to working out or staying in shape. Considering Tanzil had a similar body type (at least as far as males go, lacking the usual bulk other gryphons had,) there could certainly be an assumption of family resemblance.
The gryphoness’s colorations were that of a mountain variety (at least as far as Twilight’s research had indicated.) Fairly standard white chest leading into a grey gradient on her midsection, and dark-grey hindquarters. Black and red highlights streaked across her face, and a light blue coloration surrounded the gryphoness’s eyes and wrists, speckles of the coloration also visible among the grey spackles in her midsection.
Her eyes, a dark forest green, were focused on the stained-glass window on the opposite side of the hall. As far as Twilight could tell by gryphon standards, she was a rather attractive individual,
Then again, she wasn’t entirely sure what male gryphons looked for. Twilight only knew what to look for in gryphons in terms of what she found incredibly attractive. Tanzil fulfilled pretty much all…
Aaaaaaand we’ll just shelve that for later. Twilight thought as heat rose to her cheeks.
Oddly, the gryphoness had visible bags under her eyes, another yawn leaving her light-yellow beak.
“Nilliana! You have a moment?” Tanzil called as they approached, the gryphoness waving tiredly.
“Huh? Tanzil? ‘Sup?”
The gryphoness finally caught their gaze, and her eyes widened on seeing Twilight.
“Sup’, Highness?” Nilliana said, blinking slowly.
There was an audible *smack* as Tanzil slapped a set of claws to his face with a groan. A wing reached out and lightly gave the gryphoness’s head a firm pat.
“Really?” he sighed, rolling his eyes. “Sorry, Princess. So much for first impressions.”
“Highness, Princess? Oh, OH!” The gryphoness abruptly bowed with a shake of her head. “I’m sorry. I’m just a bit out of it. It’s really nice to meet you, Princess Twilight.”
Twilight, on the other hoof, was trying to hold in her giggles.
“It’s nice to meet you too, Nilliana is it?”
The gryphoness nodded, shaking the outstretched hoof in greeting.
“Sorry about that again. Just…” her eyes drifted over to Tanzil, “I warned you this wasn’t a good week!”
“I know, I know,” the other gryphon sighed.
“Insomnia is an ever-present beast. So yeah. I’m sorry for not immediately registering, well, y’know,” Nilliana said, blue-tufted ears flattening against her skull.
“It’s no problem at all. I know a few spells that would help, if I may suggest,” Twilight added.
Oddly, her words seemed to make Nilliana frustrated, the gryphoness shaking her head. A set of claws conjured up a floating blue rune, the magic spinning around her talons before vanishing.
“I appreciate it, Princess. I do. But I know plenty of spells and have tried them all. The problem is that they all work, but I’d rather not have a good sleep here,” she explained. “And caffeine just makes it all worse.”
Twilight’s brow furrowed at that. That was a contradicting statement, to say the least.
Picking up on her confusion, Nilliana sighed, pinching her brow with a set of claws.
“Ok, that was confusing. I meant nightmares, Highness. It doesn’t make waking up pleasant. Not all of us grew up in a nice environment like you ponies.”
“Nily!” Tanzil hissed, the emperor both shocked and appearing to want to sink into the floor.
The gryphoness let out a groan, wincing.
“Wow, that was a lot blunter and ruder than I meant it to be,” she sighed, shaking her head. “I’m sorry. I’m just going to stop talking now.”
“That would probably be best, Nily. Go get some rest, alright?” Tanzil sighed, clearly exasperated but concerned. “We don’t have anything else, so you can be out for the day.”
The gryphoness nodded, her ears abruptly perking up.
“Something’s off,” she muttered, her figure tensing up like a cat. Arcane runes blossomed along the gryphoness’s wrists and forelimbs; Twilight inwardly being impressed at the neatness of the spellcraft.
Furthermore, Nilliana was right.
“There’s indeed a magical disturbance. In the main hall and stopping just outside the throne room. That’s most intriguing,” Twilight muttered.
A royal guard abruptly appeared with a *pop* next to them; one of Twilight’s more elite units.
“I assume this has to do with the magical disturbance?” she asked, the unicorn nodding firmly.
“We have a hostage situation. He’s asking to see you.”
“Who?”
“Arcane Flare.”
Arcane’s sides heaved, the unicorn’s magic holding no less than five different types of firearms constantly aimed at the other pony in front of him. The forms of the weapons constantly shifted. Belt-fed machine guns, a grenade launcher, old-fashioned single-shot rifles, and an airship’s cannon; they never stayed still. Dozens of other shapes also accompanied the two creatures. Strange, mirror-like spears rotated this way and that, their needle-sharp points always tracking a creature in the room.
The hornless unicorn in the middle of all of this was shackled with irons and didn’t say a word. A torn business suit adorned his frame but was otherwise devoid of any clothing or items in general.
You don’t deserve to be alive.
Staple Punch. Such an innocuous, business-like name. Yet he had been one of the cruelest creatures Arcane had ever had the misfortune of meeting.
The royal guards kept their distance. Then again, a unicorn wreathed in blue flames would be enough to make them cautious. It was all Arcane could do to keep his magic in check. The guards had both enchanted spears and side-saddle firearms aimed at him. Maybe they’d be able to kill him.
Probably not.
The Company had certainly tried once or twice with far more deadly measures. But he just had to focus on not being chaotic. That was the key. Just simple levitation.
The rage was nearly overwhelming though. After dropping off the message to a few of the Equestrian Embassies, Arcane had found his target after touching the red orb in the meadow. And he had arrived just in time.
I hope those ponies are ok.
He could have killed Staple. By all rights Arcane should have, considering the evil the other unicorn had done.
But I want to be better. I don’t know if I am right now. But I want to be.
I hope that’s enough.
On seeing one of the three creatures enter the room, Arcane couldn’t keep a snarl off his face.
“Princess Twilight Sparkle,” he growled. “I would say thank you for meeting with me, but you clearly were content with letting me rot in that silo for more than a decade. So much for the rights and protections of being an Equestrian citizen. Do you abandon all of your inconvenient subjects that way?”
It was hardly the way to speak to the ruler of a nation but he didn’t care. Not even the slightest. There were only a few ponies that held his respect, and this mare wasn’t one of them.
Despite the outward mask, Twilight’s eyes widened in surprise, clearly not having expected such words.
“To say mistakes were made would be an understatement of the century, Arcane,” Twilight admitted, “and for that I’m sorry. What you went through shouldn’t have happened.”
“Empty words,” Arcane said with a huff, but his rage dampened ever so slightly. “I’m here to bring this creature to face whatever trials you have planned. He was the leader of Silo Three, and my personal handler and torturer. I doubt Equestria has an appropriate death penalty, but I’m choosing to leave him with you.”
“We’ll get him into a cell. But was the de-horning entirely necessary, Arcane?” Twilight asked, the mare immediately regretting her words with a visible wince.
Arcane let out a mirthless chuckle, looking over to the Princess.
“Necessary? Well, I could always have just let him continue to beat his assumed wife. Maybe I should have just watched as he raised a hoof towards the two foals watching? Would that have been a preferable outcome, Highness? I didn’t know Equestria now tolerated abuse.”
A dozen pairs of eyes now focused on the shackled unicorn, Arcane letting out a huff. His words were crass and disrespectful, but nobody in the room had done anything to make him think they deserved otherwise.
“I figured that’d get your attention. This was the easiest way to get him to be subdued without killing him. And he deserved far worse.”
“He’ll be dealt with,” Twilight said, and at that, Staple’s ears perked up. “He’ll be processed with the other company leadership we have in custody.”
“Oh, thank the stars,” Staple sighed, looking over to Twilight. “Thank you Highn-!”
*BANG!*
The stallion let out a terrified scream, cowering to the floor as the five firearms discharged with a deafening cacophony of blasts. The bullets, however, spun in the air. They barely touched the prone unicorn’s skin as a magical grip encompassed them.
Staple was spun around to face Arcane, the chaotic pony’s multicolored eyes wide with rage as the bullets aimed themselves at the horrified unicorn’s eyes and heart.
“You don’t thank her,” Arcane growled, “you thank me for not ripping off more than your horn! She isn’t in control here,” the unicorn hissed. “I could kill you right now. Maybe I should.” The bullets pressed into Staple’s skin. Not enough to break it, but to make a very clear point. “Each one of these are armor-piercing rounds. Explosive too. I don’t know what sick modifications you have to your body like the Director did, but it wouldn’t save you. I doubt they’re chaos-proof. Or maybe I’ll just remove all of your limbs so all you can do is beg? Roll around like a cockroach and-”
“Arcane, that’s enough. He’ll face justice soon enough,” Twilight said, still managing to stay calm.
“Justice?”
The room flexed, magical alarms starting to blare before they were silenced. The needle-like spears shifted, their movements becoming sharp and angular as they spun on their axis to point at every creature in the room.
“What do you, Princess, know about justice? About what happens outside of your pretty little box here in Canterlot? About being tortured for years on end and wondering why your supposed friends and family left you to die?” Arcane snorted, no respect in his tone or demeanor.
“What do you know about that type of pain, Princess? Can you even give me a moral reason not to kill him right here? Any reason at all?”
“Any reason? You’ve come this far without killing him. But what about because you’re a better pony than that.”
Her reply actually made Arcane pause.
“No. I really don’t think I am,” the unicorn muttered, his captured Handler starting to shiver in fear as two chaos-filled eyes looked his way, an almost unhinged eagerness glinting in their depths. The whisperings of a cruel smile twitched at the pony’s lips, fangs starting to show.
Arcane then shook his head and dropped his gaze, the guns lowering. The bullets clattered to the floor. Something about Arcane’s demeanor shifted. The magic surrounding the pony became more refined as he looked up at Twilight.
“I’m not a better pony. A good pony wouldn’t have been tortured for years and left to rot.”
Twilight’s eyes widened, a bit of horror creeping into her expression as Arcane spoke. The stallion then shook his head.
“But I want to be.”
A sigh of relief immediately left Staple’s mouth.
“Can you please get me away from this crazy creature? He’s not even a pony anymore. You think I’m dangerous?! You should have a dozen shields up and kill this unicorn while you can!” he yelled, looking at the guards and Twilight. Tanzil and Nelliana watched quietly from the side.
“Really? You get a chance to say a few words, and that’s what you ask them to do?” Arcane asked, red flames starting to lick from his eyes as his demeanor flipped. “To kill me? To dare to call me crazy? What makes you think they can kill me? You tried and failed!”
“Arcane, he’s beaten. We’ll take it from here. You can be free to do whatever you want. We’d just appreciate you answering some questions,” Twilight said. But her words were only half the picture. Arcane could sense the magical spells already gathering, many of them on standby. The castle had defenses that were waiting to be active, and the Princess alone had dozens of magical countermeasures aimed at him.
She thought he didn’t see them. She thought they’d help.
“Free?” Arcane whispered, “I’m not free. I don’t get to be free up here.”
“No charges are going to be filed. You’re the victim here and would be our guest.”
Twilight was scrambling for an appropriate response. Arcane could sense it, the nervousness starting to creep in. The magic around Staple dropped, the stallion being allowed to walk a few paces before being cemented to the ground with a pulse of energy as Arcane snagged him in one last grip.
“Oh, not yet,” Arcane snarled, the mere sight of the pony making his blood boil away any feelings other than furious anger.
“Arcane, don’t you think it’s been enough? We’ll deal with him.”
Twilight’s repeated words only were met with a snort from the unicorn. Arcane’s eyes glowed. Purple and green magic flashed, and Staple’s own eyes were filled with a maroon mist. The unicorn collapsed to the ground with a thud, Arcane nodding once.
“Now it’s enough. He’s all yours,” Arcane muttered. “Five days of nightmares for five years of daily torture. I’d consider that a merciful reaction on my part of wanting to be a better pony. Don’t bother trying to cleanse the spell. It’ll add a day every time you do.”
“Alright then,” Twilight said softly. “Thank you for your restraint, Arcane. You’re welcome to relax here if you’d like, to take a break while we sort this out,” Twilight said, the room relaxing slightly.
“You all have no idea, do you?” Arcane asked softly. Abruptly, he felt tears starting to trickle from his eyes. He wasn’t sure why. He felt so out of place. The stallion couldn’t be normal if he tried. The walls of the massive room seemed to constrict, the unicorn struggling to draw breath.
“You have no idea what it’s like. Just ‘take a break?’ Who do you think I am!? What do you think I am?! I don’t get to ‘take a break’ from any of this!”
The mare’s eyes widened in surprise as the stallion looked up at her. The was no rage in his eyes, only grief and fear.
“I know your story, Princess. You have no idea what it’s like to be wrong. To know you shouldn’t exist. And don’t say I don’t!” he said, voice shivering. His voice filled the room, but the angry tone was only on the surface. Beneath it, there was nothing but fear and horror that made Arcane’s limbs tremble.
“You have friends. Family. A kingdom! What do you know about not being wanted? When in your life were you left alone because your very presence was offensive to every creature in the room just because you happened to exist? I didn’t ask for any of this! I didn’t ask to be born like this! I didn’t ask to be abandoned by everyone!”
Twilight didn’t say anything, instead simply lowering her eyes.
Arcane hadn’t wanted to be right. He had hoped that some voice would speak up to counter his words, the thoughts present in his mind ever since the unicorn was old enough to comprehend them.
Looking around the room, he only saw fear. Fear that the unstable unicorn in the room would shred them and the castle to pieces. It wasn’t unjustified. There were a few glances of pity, but it was all superficial. Arcane hadn’t expected anything more.
His eyes landed on the gryphons. Oddly, they seemed the most interested in him. They didn’t have the professional demeanor of the guards or the baggage of the Princess. The larger one held himself at ease, similar to Twilight. He didn’t seem scared, only curious. Arcane’s gaze drifted to the gryphoness at his side, the unicorn’s gaze locking onto two forest-green eyes-
And a gaze that was filled with unshed tears.
Arcane’s heart pounded in his chest. There wasn’t any malice in the gryphoness’s eyes. There was something he hadn’t expected to see from anyone but Discord. And even that had been fleeting.
Understanding. Tender, genuine sympathy.
His breath caught in his chest, those two beautiful eyes sucking him in. He didn’t know how to process this, a creature who radiated nothing but empathy. Nothing about her body language indicated it, only two eyes filled with empathetic tears. The unicorn finally broke his eyes away and slumped to the floor, catching himself.
“I assume then you don’t want to stay here?” Twilight finally asked, Arcane not able to stop a laugh from leaving his fanged mouth.
“Why would I want to stay? I’ve had more than enough of your, and Equestria’s hospitality. I don’t want anything to do with you or this nation.”
His word seemed to hit Twilight harder than any other prior statement, the alicorn staring at him, shock and sadness in her gaze.
“I don’t see why you’re so surprised. Nothing good has come from your kingdom into my life. I was a citizen and was abandoned by you and your ‘perfect’ systems. I want nothing to do with you, Equestria, anything. I just want to go. I want to go to…”
I don’t know where to go. Discord said he’d help me.
Was that a lie too?
“Oh, come now. I really wouldn’t say our purple princess or Equestria is that bad,” A familiar voice drawled. With a snap of his claws, the room brightened up, a Draconequus floating next to Twilight as the atmosphere gained a sense of normality.
“Equestria’s lovely inhabitants may be short-sighted, flawed, and remarkably boring more often than not, but the nation has a certain charm to it. It may take a while for you to see it though,” he mused. “And I’m glad you chose to be the better pony, Arcane. I see my words weren’t wasted.”
Twilight shot him a glance, and that made Arcane rather happy. She hadn’t known. There wasn’t a plan, just whatever Discord had wanted to offer.
But the spells in the room told a different story.
Arcane’s heart was caught in his throat. With a seamless transition, he wasn’t in Canterlot anymore. Instead, suppression spells surrounded his entire body leagues underground. He felt adrenaline dump into his system. Arcane knew all too well the spells that surrounded him. He knew what came next.
Then the pain began.
With a terrified scream, Arcane abruptly curled into a ball, magic flashing to encase his body in an ever-shifting shield that hurt to look at, a thousand colors warping across the domed, spiked surface.
“DON’T HURT ME!”
Every creature in the room stared, Discord frowning.
“What prompted that?” he muttered; the stallion’s muttering only now became audible between sobs.
“No more. Please. No more. No more spells. No more tests. Please….NO!”
Discord’s eyes widened, and he snapped his claws. In an instant, every defensive spell Twilight had on standby was muffled by a pile of pillows; both literal and figurative.
Arcane shivered, his breathing no longer hyperventilating underneath the shield.
“He could sense your spells, Twilight,” Discord muttered. “But there’s something else.”
The Draconequus floated down towards the pony, standing on the floor cautiously. With a flash of crimson light, an impenetrable mist burst out from Arcane, angry flecks of blue magic coloring the barrier.
Glaring at Discord, a large, fox-like face snarled as a few others joined it. The creatures surrounded Arcane protectively, growling at Discord.
“Nobody move,” Discord barked, “this is from my realm.” He then turned to the fox, holding out a set of claws.
“Nobody here is going to hurt you,” he said in a remarkably soft tone, one reminiscent of a certain yellow Pegasus. “I’m a friend. I just want to help. You don’t need to protect Arcane from me. Test me, if you want.”
The fox snarled at him, an angry blast of the red mist enveloping Discord. It then abruptly dissipated, a single blue arcane fox sitting in front of the Draconequus with a happy chirp.
“See? Told you,” Discord said with a smirk as he folded his arms. “Now what is all of this about?”
The fox was joined by a few others, all of them chattering non-stop as the room looked on in amazement.
“Slow down! I can’t- wait. You. What did you say,” Discord asked, his voice becoming deadly calm.
The largest fox chattered, jumping up and down and hissing. The entire family of familiars growled at the still-prone Staple Punch, angry magic sparking from their frames. They continued to squeak and growl for a solid minute until Discord interrupted.
“They did what?!”
It was only for a split second, but Twilight saw Discord’s demeanor waver. For a moment, the entire throne room shifted realms, floating amidst cosmic bodies that had no business being this close. The Draconequus was larger than it all, a mouth full of fangs bearing down on Staple Punch as his oddly-colored eyes were filled with nothing but an unhinged rage.
The spell around the prone stallion cleared for a moment, and Twilight heard him scream as the lucid pony saw the God of Chaos looming above him, a sound lost on the magical winds.
And then they were back, Discord coughing in what appeared to be embarrassment as he adjusted a newly-created bowtie.
“Twilight. Make sure you guard Staple Punch well,” he said, a now-serious tone making the mare shift unpleasantly.
“Is he at risk for being broken out by the Company?” Twilight asked, the Draconequus shaking his head.
“No. But if he does escape, his fate will be in my claws. And that’s not something you want,” Discord whispered.
Twilight’s eyes widened as she saw the Draconequus’ claws shaking with anger. There was an unhinged demeanor about the God of Chaos reminiscent of his old ways. An ancient power begging to be unleashed.
With a wave of her hoof, Twilight sent the guards to drag Staple away.
“Five days of nightmares. Twilight, you must understand that Arcane is a saint for only casting that,” Discord said, his voice still trembling. “I don’t understand how Arcane is still lucid,” he added, only Twilight able to hear the whisper.
The foxes seemed to be rather pleased with themselves, sitting at Discord’s feet. Arcane was still curled up in a ball, one of the kits nudging him with a soft chirp.
“Arcane, you back with us?” Discord called.
The pony let out a groan, levering himself up with a hiss as he clutched his head.
“What?” he muttered. “I lost it, didn’t I?”
“Nobody was hurt. Your foxy friends came to your aid. There was a misunderstanding. Nobody here is wanting to hurt you,” Discord said cautiously.
Twilight was now certain that the Draconequus had taken instructor-level de-escalation classes with Fluttershy. She had never seen him this calm, this…
Kind.
“Arcane, where will you go now?” Discord asked. “Back to the glaciers or that lovely meadow perhaps?”
“I don’t have a home,” he whispered. “I don’t have anything. I can barely think.” A fox nudged his leg comfortingly at that.
“And that’s where I can help,” Discord said kindly, holding up a claw as Twilight opened her mouth. “Twilight, not now. This isn’t your concern, not anymore.”
Discord conjured up a portal, showing his and Fluttershy’s home in the chaos realm.
“I’m offering you somewhere to heal, Arcane. I can teach you to control your magic. You could even learn to live a relatively normal life if you wanted. I wouldn’t recommend it, because yuck,” he stuck out his tongue at that. “But I could teach you how.”
“Why would you offer me that?” the unicorn whispered, barely able to stand on his hooves.
“Because I know what it’s like to want to be a better creature,” Discord said in a remarkably soft tone. “Both our home, and the position as my apprentice are open to you if you’d like it. Until you have a home, you’re welcome in ours.”
Arcane sat down with a bump, the unicorn’s mind too full to even process such an offer. He didn’t even know what the tears were from. Happiness? Fear? The remnants of the chaotic outburst still clouded his mind, hyper-aware senses searching for anything to protect against. There was always something trying to hurt him.
“I don’t-I don’t know what to do,” he said, eyes closing. “I have nothing.”
“Then how about we get you somewhere safe first? Not ‘this realm’ safe, but somewhere you can’t hurt anycreature. And I mean anyone.”
The foxes piped up again, Discord leaning down.
“Slow down! I can’t understand a word of what you’re- yes, ok, I can understand that. Fluttershy is there,” he said, gesturing with his claws.
Without hesitation, the foxes hopped through the portal. The last one looked back at Arcane and let out a happy chirp before vanishing.
“Quite the chatterboxes you have as friends. They came to your protection during your outburst. Apparently, they’ve already talked with Fluttershy,” Discord mused. “So, Arcane, what do you say?”
“I’m just so tired,” he whispered, swaying on his hooves. “I can’t…”
“Then let’s get you a bed and take it from there. Can you walk into the portal?”
He stumbled forwards, only catching a few words from Discord as he spoke to Twilight.
“This is no longer your matter, Princess,” the Chaos God had said almost kindly. “We’ll be in touch.”
Arcane took a few more steps through the portal. He then collapsed into a heap, sides heaving as the unicorn struggled to draw breath. The blue flames around his body sputtered and vanished. More tears streamed from his eyes, and a pressure in Arcane’s mind finally released.
The chaos magic. It’s all quiet. I almost forgot what it felt like.
He managed to look around. Chaos magic ebbed and flowed all around him. Odd creatures and shapes flitting here and there. Stars and sunsets bled together, slowly rotating around the cobblestone path he had fallen on. The stones and the large cottage in the distance were floating on a large island, a simple mailbox next to a white picket fence and gate.
“Ah, very good. You’re acclimating quickly,” Discord said, offering a set of claws to help the pony up, the two walking down the path carefully.
“What’s happening to me?” Arcane asked, stumbling slightly. He noticed how Discord seemed genuinely concerned, a claw ready to lend aid.
“This is the chaos realm. The part of you imbued with that magic is home,” Discord explained, a hint of sadness in his voice. “There’s no reason to burn off excess magic here, and I doubt you’ll have too many intrusive chaotic impulses. That’s what I’d have to guess for a mortal mind. Chaos is normal here, so why would it want to deviate from naturally manifesting?”
It made sense to Arcane, but a looming headache made processing it all too difficult.
“I want to learn, but I can’t right now. It all hurts,” he managed to say, stumbling through the gate. His hooves wouldn’t move anymore after that.
The door to the light-red cottage opened, and Arcane knew the pony that carefully walked over to look at him. He had seen her in books and videos but never face to face. He never thought he ever would.
Fluttershy. The Element of Kindness.
A hero a dozen times over and married to one of the most powerful creatures in existence.
He felt so pathetic. All the stallion could do was hang his head and cry, tears dripping onto the cobblestones. He had no home, no money, and no knowledge if anyone even remembered him from before. Yet Discord and Fluttershy had opened their home to him? These two heroes deserved far more than the broken pony now trembling on their doorstep.
It was ludicrous.
Chaotic even.
That last thought made him chuckle, a horribly sad sound as the stallion tried to wipe away his tears. He wasn’t worth the effort these two creatures were willing to go through.
Why would they put so much effort toward a broken pony?
Why do I matter to them?
I don’t deserve this.
“We can do more introductions later if you’d like,” a soft voice said, Fluttershy sitting in front of him. “What would make things better right now, Arcane?”
He looked up, and he heard the mare gasp in surprise at seeing his eyes. But there was no fear in the sound, in her demeanor. Only fascination.
Only kindness.
“I don’t know. I don’t know what to think,” Arcane admitted. “It hurts. Everything makes sense but none at all. I don’t know what to do, to feel, anything.”
“Would you like a hug? Discord said that might be a bit much, and that’s ok. We can just sit here for a while.”
“I’d…” Arcane started, not able to finish his words. He only looked up and nodded. Usually, he’d refuse, this soon after everything. Physical touch just meant pain. It always did.
But if he couldn’t dwell on how much baggage such a gesture held, maybe Arcane could enjoy it for just a few-
His entire body stiffened, Fluttershy wrapping her arms carefully around him. The unicorn’s lips trembled before finally collapsing into her embrace. Arcane bawled into the Pegasus’s shoulder, more than a decade of lies and pain tearing out of his throat.
But as Fluttershy rocked him back and forth, the smallest voice in Arcane’s mind had to admit that it felt good, that he felt just a bit better. That maybe, just maybe, things would be better tomorrow.
That was too much to think about, so Arcane let himself enjoy the hug. The first gesture of affection he had felt outside of the Silos, and it was from the Element of Kindness. There was an intoxicating feeling, a safety that he hadn’t felt for nearly half of his life.
Kindness. Such a simple word that hadn’t been present in his life underground until two Thestrals had shown it to him. And now Fluttershy and Discord.
Maybe tomorrow will be better.
“Your apprentice?!” Twilight exclaimed in the conference room, Discord casually floating above the table.
“Yes, I was quite clear on that I believe,” he said with a grin, “If Arcane wants to, that is. I take it you object?”
“Object? No. I just don’t know what to think about it. I never considered it a possibility.”
Discord had at least the mindfulness to appear dramatically shocked, placing a paw over his heart in mock pain.
“You wound me! You don’t think I’d be a good teacher?” he asked. Seeing Twilight raise an eyebrow and open her mouth, he held up a claw. “Past shenanigans at a certain school of friendship don’t count. I’m teaching chaos here. That’s different.”
She let out a huff, waving a hoof.
“If anyone can teach him to have control of chaos, it’s you. I’ll admit to that. How is he?”
The fact Discord didn’t answer immediately was a clue enough, the Draconequus, finally sighing. He settled onto the table with a soft *whump*, doodling in the wood as if it were sand.
“After hugging Fluttershy while crying his eyes out, Arcane didn’t say much. He’s resting in the guest room. Flutters says he’ll probably sleep for most of the day. He’s exhausted,” Discord said quietly. “It’s the other reason I asked Fluttershy for help. She’s a licensed therapist a dozen times over. Our home is the ideal environment for Arcane to figure out what to do next, and that’s outside of making sure his chaos magic doesn’t hurt anyone including himself.”
“And if he doesn’t want to be your apprentice?”
A simple shrug was Discord’s answer.
“Then so be it. I’ll still teach him as much as he’d like to know. Enough to function in your lovely, normal society if he desires to return.”
Twilight sighed, nodding slowly. There was a final question she had. Well, one of many.
“Discord, what did those foxes say to you?” she asked carefully. “I’ve never seen you that angry.”
A visible twitch pulsed on the Chaotic God’s face as he took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.
“They told me some of the things the Company did to him. Ways they manipulated the chaos and treated Arcane like a lab rat,” he said, claw then curling into a fist. “Arcane has more self-control than I thought possible in a pony. The entire leadership of that place, not just Staple, should be dead for those crimes. But I don’t make those decisions. I shouldn’t. Fluttershy has taught me that. It’s too easy to start, too hard to stop.”
Discord’s last sentence made Twilight stare. To say it carried a weighty implication was an understatement. It wasn’t often that the mare was reminded that the chaotic god in front of her could, quite literally, end life with the snap of his claws.
“I know they experimented on him, and Staple’s fate is sealed.”
“Not just experiments. They used him. Tortured him for the pure fun of it to see what would happen!” Discord growled. “Do you have any idea how painful, how wrong it would feel to have your magic scrambled while still inside you? Ripped out and shoved back in with suppression spells that only partially work?! I’m amazed he even recognizes reality at this point, let alone can-”
He took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose with a paw.
“Let’s not talk about that. I didn’t realize I had undiscovered sore spots. Apparently I do. Flutters will be overjoyed.”
“You care about him.”
Twilight’s words made Discord pause, the Draconequus appearing not to do anything.
But she saw the barely-perceptible nod.
“I feel responsible for him. He’s suffered enough because of the magic I can so freely use,” the Draconequus whispered. “That feels wrong, somehow. That pony has been denied a life due to magic out of his control. As someone who can control chaos, it’s his right to have a better life than that.”
Discord took a few deep breaths, his demeanor returning to the familiar, jovial expressions Twilight was familiar with.
“We’ll talk later, Sparkles. There are some things I need to make sure Arcane knows when he’s ready. He has his own Chaosville dimension, after all. I have to at least teach him how to access that. I’m amazed he’s held it together this long without utilizing it.”
“Wait, he has a what?”
All Twilight got was a cheeky wave, Discord looking at the dozen watches having materialized on his arm.
“Oh, would you look at the time? We’ll be in touch, Princess.”
Twilight could only sigh, nodding.
“Very well,” she said, not able to resist a slight smile. “And Discord?”
“Hmm?”
“Thank you.”
The Draconequus stared for a few moments, finally saluting and vanishing with a pop of bubbles. Twilight sat down, head shaking slowly.
The day had just gotten a lot more interesting.
Moment of reprieve for our two Thestrals! And we get to check in with a certain unicorn... 
I'm going to switch to an every-other-week upload schedule for a time, to make sure I can have a steady stream of chapters and such. So, this is a nice big chapter to tide you over!
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Usually, I find the 2000 words chapter in the okay range. Honestly, the duo batties repeating the same troubles or lesson on multiple chapters, sometimes back to back, feels a little overused.
These chapters outside of the the duo are always bringing back some curious intrigue. But I still would wish these two get to experience something different than just "silo trauma" constantly.
Eitherway, this chapter is great! From all perspective, I found them refreshing to the usual formulae. Sassy being adorable, I imagined, outside of armour, Twilight's (probable) curious secret side plot regarding the elements, and just plain Arcane. Oh, and the relationship between the Company versus Equestria and the Company sabotuers.
11521789
I may not have the writing experience, but maybe all the fics I have read over the years will have some weight to it.
If the two thestrals are still going to "learn the lesson again" or trying to realistically mimic how slow the healing process is, artistically, you could try lessening the "thanks, I am trying to get over it" but make it appear in more subtle ways through little actions. Even in their own personal thoughts doesn't need to be referring to "thanks Astral" all the time.
It might give the reader something to remember strongly rather than have the story point it out to them. This is a good way to stimulate long time readers. I don't think they would mind a little "character checkup" if you do it sparingly enough.
11521808
I agree that it needs to not be repetitive, even though trauma is something the Silo offers in abundance. I appreciate the tips; and I'll definitely take that into account. I'm still musing various ideas/options, and may cut down on certain aspects to avoid repetition.
... I never knew how bad I needed to see Arcane get some solace from Discord. That was a beautiful, bright spot in the latest bit of misery.
11522304
Discord isn't that heartless. It's quite fun having them interact!
I think that's supposed to be a "sigh" of relief, though I suppose a "sign" or relief from Staple's mouth could technically work, too, though I have to wonder... what would a "sign" of relief from someone's mouth be like? Probably a sigh.
11522971
Darnit! A typo snuck through. Thanks!
To be fair, that'd be one heck of a nasty trick of chaos magic. A sign in one's mouth..
Ouch!
11523034
Unless it's a really tiny sign, that says "sigh" on it, lol.
I'm glad arcane finally got that hug he needed still he needs more and I hope that the griffiness that you introduced will help him
11525751
Jesus christ, you are a colossal moron, literally nothing more smooth-brained than you
11550940
. Twilight can logic her way through things, but in the end, she rules a very sheltered nation (and has only been doing so for a generation or two.) So Arcane abusing someone who's already 'technically' incapacitated doesn't compute.
To be fair, ponies are sheltered.
...I recall a few being in a comatose state due to flowers being thrown everywhere in the show
Well...logically.
Gryphons don't have external ears - their heads are like a bird's.
11739064
The ones in MLP do have (in some cases) ear tufts. I've taken a bit of liberty with that; but that's a very good point.
How many mistakes are you going to make this week
11814208
I mean, she's trying....