Where the Sun is Silent

by Cynewulf

The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Marionettes

That was when the whispers began again. All three ponies stiffened, and Twilight spoke without thinking.

“You hear it too?” The others looked at her wordlessly, and she continued. “I, mean, like, you hear individual voices or—“

She stopped midsentence as Rainbow began to shiver and stare at the sky, eyes wide as if in a trance. The voices grew louder and louder, and Twilight knew they’d been still too long. They had retreated before companionship but complacency had brought them back in force. Rainbow began to speak, her voice shaking with animal fear.

“Won’t fly again, won’t fly again… What if they’re right? Rares, you gotta let me go! What if they’re right? I gotta know!”

The whispering transformed into laughter—discordant and sinister. Rainbow, struggling against Rarity’s hooves and magic, screamed against the void and the mocking. “I’ll fly! You can’t stop me from flying, you fuckers! Just you watch me! Shut up! Don’t you dare laugh, don’t you even dare!”

The laughter only intensified. Twilight tried to help, not even sure if Rarity’s fears were warranted. All she knew was that Rainbow was out of control, for now she could feel the voices gnaw at her own mind.

She was lost. Twilight knew it as soon as Rarity cried out. A kick meant to dislodge Rarity connected with Twilight and sent her backwards. In another moment, Rarity’s panic-driven strength failed her and she was thrown to the ground. Rainbow’s wings flared open.

“Look! I’ll fly! That’ll show you. That’ll finally shut you up!” With a great push, she was airborne. Twilight could only watch in mute awe as, for a split second, she seemed suspended in mid-air with her powerful wings out to their fullest and her hooves reaching ahead. Then, the laughing shifted to howling and bawling as Rainbow twisted in an unnatural fashion and fell back to earth with a sickening crunch.

Rarity screamed as the laughter and howling died away. The screams continued as she stumbled over to Dash’s still form. There were no words. She shook the pegasus, trying to speak but unable to. Twilight was right behind her.

Iron spikes had torn her wings to shreds, with a few stuck in her abdomen. Twilight noted grimly that the bleeding from these last few wounds was beyond her limited knowledge. Rainbow groaned, as if she was just coming around.

“Twilight!” Rarity was bawling. “Rainbow!”

Now was not the time to mention that she knew next to nothing about medicine or healing magic. She guessed that the barbed spikes would need to be removed. She summoned her magic, and warned Rarity to scoot back. She tugged.

It came out and Rainbow screamed. Twilight was so startled by this that she dropped the spike on the rock floor. Blood poured from the new wound and Rarity tried her best to staunch the flow with her hooves.

“My wings, my wings!” Rainbow repeated in horrified stupor.

Rarity rounded on Twilight. “Hurry up!”

She tried. The second one was easier, and the third came out quickly with the dexterity of her magic.

Rainbow hadn’t let up, and Rarity snapped at her. She left off of applying pressure to Rainbow’s gushing wounds suddenly and Twilight did her best to keep the bleeding under control.

“My wings! My wings! Rarity, oh Celestia, I’m so cold! My wings!”

Rarity shook her, voice tinged with madness. “How dare you! You never listen! You just do whatever you want, fly wherever you want! I always give you room, don’t I? You look at me! Don’t you dare close your eyes, Rainbow Dash!”

Rainbow looked up, terrified and uncomprehending. Tears streamed from both of her eyes. She tried to speak, but Rarity wouldn’t let her. Twilight tried to pull the unicorn back, but Rarity shoved her off.

“Rares? Rares, I’m cold.”

“No, you listen to me, Rainbow! I always give you room, don’t I? You and your loyalty still never listen! Don’t you even dare think about dying on me, darling, understand? Twilight.” She was in Twilight’s face in a heartbeat.

“I… I don’t know what I can do for her,” Twilight admitted, frightened of the seething unicorn. Rarity was a fearsome sight, her off white coat stained with blood. “Our best bet is to put her in stasis, I think. I do know how to do that. We’ll have to carry her, but she’ll be alright for a little while. I think… I know the Princess is coming for us, and if we can hold out a bit longer we can get Dash out.”

“Do it. What do you need from me?” Rarity said, the anger gone. Twilight wasn’t sure what was in her voice now.

“Just… step away a moment. I’ll need you to help carry her, but you need to leave her alone for a moment.”

Rarity fell back and sobbed.

Twilight stood beside her fallen friend and began. As the spell froze her lower extremeties, Rainbow managed to speak.

“…I’m sorry.”

Rainbow closed her eyes, and sleep found her as Twilight finished her work. With a groan, Twilight sat down and panted. It was exhausting work, and she’d definitely rushed it, but she’d had no choice. Rainbow’s blood loss would have gotten out of control.

Rarity returned to her side, shaking. Tears ran down her cheeks and mixed with the specks of blood. She attempted to wipe them away, but her hooves were filthy and just made things worse. She whimpered.

“Rainbow…” she said, sounding for all the world like a lost foal.

Twilight took a deep breath, and lifted the pegasus with her magic. “Rarity, I could use some help moving her.”

“Oh, o-of course, Twilight.”

Together, the two unicorns carried their friend between them. Twilight picked from one of the open halls and they headed down it. Whichever way. The Princess can find us wherever, but we can’t stay still.

The air of imminent danger had returned and, without looking back, Twilight knew that the creeping darkness was following them. They started out at a trot, nervous but unwilling to run with Rainbow so precarious in the air on nothing but magic.

Rarity sniffled. Twilight would’ve said something under normal circumstances, but her nerves were fried. She had nothing.

“Twilight, what if that’s the last thing she ever hears me say?” she asked. “I’ll have not even said goodbye to her. I was just… I heard the voices say that she wasn’t going to survive… that she was going to die… that if she flew—“

“Rarity, she’s not dying any time soon. Stop,” Twilight managed, and Rarity did so.

Twilight continued, “Look, Rarity—the voices… I heard Celestia and Big Macintosh die and it was a lie! They aren’t telling the future. Whatever brought us here is just… messing with us.”

“Why are we here? Where is this place, anyway? All I remember is that horrid thing on Fluttershy’s chest.”

“I’m not sure where… but I think I might know who.” She explained the little that she’d learned from Shining. She had no name, but she had the knowledge that something beyond her knowledge was in the city. Something with an axe to grind with the Princess of the Sun. It made sense. Well, no. Not really, but it’s all I have. It fits too well. Some sort of evil magic user just happens to be murdering ponies in ritualistic ways right as the Elements of Harmony are attacked? Those signs weren’t a calling card. They were a ritual or a display of power or... or something.

“So we’re pawns,” Rarity said, and Twilight wasn’t sure if it was anger or defeat in her voice. “We’re rats in a maze.”

Twilight didn’t answer.