Slingers

by Enter Madness

A Visit/Introductions

Before Shimmer’s eyes even opened, she ran through a quick mental checklist. Where was she? In a bed, under the covers. Was she hurt? No. Smells in the room? Fabric softener and a slight hint of sweat. Sounds? Other than her own heartbeat, she could hear the soft sound of another pony breathing. She wiggled all of her faculties to make sure they still worked, and only then did she act.

Shimmer cast the covers aside and rolled off the bed, her trained eyes telling her all she needed to know about the room in that instant.

She was in a small room with one door and one window. The bed was situated in front of her and slightly to the right, and there was a nightstand on the left side. The lamp resting on the nightstand could make a decent weapon. Her back was to the door, which she didn’t like. It made her too vulnerable. She was facing the window, and could see the silhouette of a pony sitting on the writing desk below the window.

“I was wondering how long you were just going to lay there before actually getting up,” the pony said. Shimmer’s muscles tensed up and she stared in wide-eyed disbelief. That was a voice she never thought she would hear again. She narrowed her eyes at the pony.

“What are you doing here, Dante?” Her voice was like ice.

Dante hopped down from the desk, causing Shimmer to unconsciously take a step back. With the faint moonlight streaming in through the window Shimmer could barely make out his features. He was a unicorn of average build with a midnight black coat and a slicked back grey mane. His cutie mark was a snake, coiled to strike, and he wore a smug smile.

“Sheesh, three years and that’s all the greeting I get? What happened to the sweet little unicorn I used to know?” His voice had a boyish lilt to it that used to drive mares crazy, including Shimmer. She fought to keep her heart rate under control.

“You know full well what happened.”

“What, are you still on that?” he asked.

“No, I moved on a long time ago. It looks like you’re the one who can’t let go. Why else would you be here?”

“Geeze, no need to get defensive about it,” he said, raising his hooves.

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“I heard you were in town and decided to stop by.” Dante took a step forward, causing Shimmer to take another one back. “Come on Shimmer, I’m not going to hurt you.”

“Why not? You did before, remember?”

Dante sighed. “You know, I never meant for things to happen that way. I didn’t want you, or anypony else to get hurt.”

“Could’ve fooled me.”

“Shimmer, please. You know I would never hurt you.”

“You keep saying that, but you don’t mean it. You can’t, otherwise you never would’ve left. Why did you have to leave us? Leave me?”

Dante sighed. “We’ve been over this. What you ponies are doing is wrong. Controlling other ponies lives, erasing memories, it’s all wrong! You claim to be doing ‘the will of Equestria,’ but all you do is blindly follow orders. I couldn’t be a part of that anymore, so I left. You know the rest. I didn’t want to leave you, Shimmer, but I couldn’t stay.”

Shimmer could feel tears forming in her eyes. “Go,” she said.

“Come with me, please,” Dante said, holding out a hoof. “I can break the oath. You could be free. We could be free, together.”

“No,” Shimmer responded.

“Why not?”

“Why? Why wouldn’t I want to give up the only home I’ve ever known? Why wouldn’t I want to stop helping ponies and live on the run, hunted like an animal by the ponies I used to call my friends and family?”

“It’s not that bad.”

“No. I don’t want to hear anything else you have to say,” Shimmer said.

“Just let me—“

“No. Get out.”

“Dammit Shimmer, if you won’t come with me, at least let me help you! Would you just shut your mouth and listen for once!?” Shimmer’s look soured, but she stayed quiet. “Thank you. Now, I wasn’t totally honest before—”

“There’s a shocker.”

Dante glared at her. “I didn’t just come to see you. I came to warn you. Somepony you know isn’t who they say they are.”

“Yeah, I’m looking at him.”

“I’m serious Shimmer. You need to watch your back.”

“Just go Dante.”

Dante sighed. “You know what? Fine. I’ll leave you alone, I just thought you should know that you have a rat in your precious little organization.”

“Yeah, right, like I’d believe anything you tell me. You lied to me before, or do you not remember?”

“Shimmer, I’m just trying to protect you.”

“Don’t feed me your lies. How could you even know if there was a rat?”

“I have my resources. I haven’t just been lying around for three years.”

Shimmer gasped. “Have you been spying on us? How can you expect me to believe anything you say?”

“Fine, believe me or don’t, I don’t care. But when you’re lying in the gutter with a knife in your back, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

With that, Dante climbed onto the writing desk and magicked the window open. Shimmer reached for her own magic to stop him, but she couldn’t get ahold of it. Every time she reached for it, it slipped through her grasp like she was trying to hold grains of sand. Dante stood on his hind hooves in the window, lingering for a moment.

“Watch your back,” he repeated. “Please, Shimmer.” Then he fell backward out of the window. Shimmer rushed after him, but by the time she reached the window, he was already gone. She stamped her hooves in frustration.

Shimmer returned to the bed and slumped down on it, contemplating her next move. She was seriously doubting Dante’s credibility, but what if he was right? What if there really was a rat in the Slingers? Then her thoughts turned to the previous night. The ritual, Bloodflow’s strange words as he allowed her to escape, it all seemed so bizarre. How had the cultists gotten so much prepared without them knowing? How had Bloodflow known Shimmer was coming? As much as she hated to admit it, the signs pointed to Dante telling the truth. Shimmer wanted desperately to find Bloodflow, but without her magic, there was no way she could go after the cult pony on her own. No, the best course of action was to return to Canterlot and the Slingers and go from there.

Shimmer approached the window, preparing to leave just as Dante had, but something stopped her. She turned back to the room. This was somepony’s home, somepony who had taken Shimmer in when was injured, and she was about to leave without even thanking them for it.

It can’t be helped.

But that wasn’t exactly true. Shimmer made the bed and made sure the room was clean. She sighed. It didn’t matter what she did. When she made it back to the stronghold, The Ghost would come and erase any evidence of her presence, just like always. She cleaned up anyway.

Shimmer dropped noiselessly to the ground outside the window and started down the path out of town. The closest village with a train station was a good days walk away, and before the sun had risen, Shimmer was on her way home.

(*)

“Welcome to the rest of your lives.”

The elevator doors slid open, giving the children their first glimpse of the Slinger stronghold. The first few steps off the elevator led the children onto a balcony overlooking the rest of the room. The walkway hugged the right wall, curving around a third of the room before melting into stairs that led to the ground floor of the room. There was no safety rail on the balcony, giving a sickening sense of vertigo. The room was well lit by ghostlights, magical lanterns that could be recharged and lasted for several weeks. Everything was white, but not the shining, pristine white of the rest of Canterlot. Rather, it was a softer white, lending a sense of safety and security. The balcony was made of a strong, dark wood, but the ground floor was carpeted. There were two ponies waiting just off the elevator.

The Proctor stepped off the elevator, prompting the young unicorns to follow him.

“We have some guests upstairs who refused our invitation,” he said to the two ponies. “Please make sure they reach their respective homes safely.” The ponies nodded and went into the elevator. Soon, they were gone.

Once all of the children were gathered, The Proctor spoke to them.

“This will be your new home. This is the lobby, an area that simply connects one half of the stronghold to the other. Now, if you will follow me,” he said, making his way around the edge of the balcony with the children in tow. They descended the steps to the ground floor. Now that they were at base level, Brightly could see that there were two hallways on opposite sides of the room. The Proctor led the group over to one.

“This hallway leads to the west wing. The west wing houses the barracks, where you and the other Slingers will be staying, and also contains the mess hall, where meals will be served three times a day, and the infirmary, should you suffer any injuries. Now, I-yes, what is it?”

The older stallion had his hoof raised. “Slingers?” His voice was much deeper than Brightly was expecting.

The Proctor laughed, a strange barking sound. “Silly me, I’ve forgotten to tell you, haven’t I? The Slingers are what we call ourselves, this little group. It's short for spell-slingers, an old term for unicorns.” He quickly returned to his tour guide-like attitude. “Now, as I was saying, the mess hall, barracks, and infirmary are through here, but we will return later, when it is time to meet The Matron. First, we will see the rest of the building.”

He trotted across the room, keeping his usual hurried pace. When he reached the other doorway, however, he didn’t stop. He passed the threshold and led the children into the hallway. The passage was wide enough to fit everypony in the group side-by-side, and the ceiling stretched at least five feet above The Proctor’s head.

“Now, this is the east wing. This part of the stronghold houses the training rooms, the library, and the alchemy laboratory. First stop, the library.”

The Proctor turned suddenly, opening a heavy wooden door and directing the children through it. What followed could only be described by Brightly Lulamoon as “bliss.”

It was the largest library Brightly had ever seen. There were three floors, and the back wall stretched so far back that the young unicorn could hardly make it out. The shelves were lined with what had to be hundreds of thousands of books. Back at the orphanage, Brightly had thoroughly exhausted the meager book supply, but here, he could be entertained for days, years even. There were a few ponies reading in chairs around the library or browsing the shelves, but they ignored the group. Brightly fell back on his flank, awestruck.

The Proctor chuckled at the small unicorn’s expression. “Yes, Mister Lulamoon, it is quite the collection, isn’t it?” Brightly could only nod dumbly. “We believe firmly that knowledge is power, so we have accrued as much knowledge as we were able in our two hundred year lifespan. We have rare books that can be found almost nowhere else in Equestria, books that contain knowledge struck from the history books and spells forbidden from use by the general public. Yes, we have quite the collection, indeed.” The group was approached by a blue unicorn, a mare stooped with old age. “Ah, here comes The Keeper now. How are you, Keeper?”

“Fine, fine, thank you Proctor.” She eyed the young ponies suspiciously. Brightly shuffled uncomfortably under her gaze. She turned back to the Proctor. “New blood?”

“Why, yes, in fact, I’m giving them the tour now. Say hello to The Keeper, children. She keeps this library in working order; this would be impossible without her.” The children all muttered some semblance of greeting to the aging pony.

“Eh, just make sure they don’t break nothin’,” she said, shuffling away at a snail’s pace.

“She’s quite a character, isn’t she? You’d do well to treat her with respect. Now, we do have a bit of extra time before you must meet The Matron, so feel free to wander around for a bit. You can check out any book you like, but be quick about it.”

Brightly moved through the library as if in a haze, grabbing books off the shelves and reading the titles before replacing them. How was he supposed to choose just one book out of all of these? They all seemed important, all seemed interesting, and Brightly thought he would drown if he tried to read them all.

Brightly shook himself from his thoughts and looked around. In every direction, all he could see was books. He had lost sight of the entrance, and could see nopony else. He started to panic, walking quickly this way and that, trying to find his way back to The Proctor, when he came across a small alcove. The entrance was covered by iron bars and there were three relatively small bookshelves inside. Resting on a platform in the middle of the room was a small book, no larger than a pocket diary, that was bound in leather.

“Quite a sight, ain’t it?”

Brightly jumped out of his skin. He turned around and saw The Keeper standing behind him, laughing.

“Sorry, young’un, didn’t mean to scare you. You like to read, don’t you?” Brightly nodded, eyes fixed on the ground. “I thought so,” The Keeper continued. “Come with me.” Her horn started to glow and the bars over the alcove dissolved, allowing the two unicorns to pass through, the bars reforming behind them.

“This is the Twilight Sparkle wing of the library, though it’s more of a room than a whole wing. It contains every book that out founder, Twilight Sparkle, wrote over the course of her life. Including this little beauty.” She stopped in front of the platform with the small book. “This is the Book of Truth, enchanted by Twilight Sparkle herself. They say that it answers any question you ask it, but nopony in my lifetime could make the darned thing work.”

Brightly stared wide-eyed at the book. It answered any question you asked it? How was that even possible. Brightly reached for the book, but got a sharp slap on the wrist from The Keeper.

“What do you think you’re doin,’ child? This here might be the most valuable book in all of Equestria! Don’t put yer grubby little hooves all over it. Here,” she said, levitating a book off of one of the other shelves. “I think you’ll like this one. This is an autobiography of Twilight Sparkle’s life, down to the last detail. It’d do you young'uns good to learn about yer elders.”

Brightly took the book in his own magical grasp. If he could only get one book, he might as well go with the one The Keeper suggests. He just nodded to her again.

“You don’t talk much, do you?” The Keeper asked. Brightly shook his head. “Well, you’ll come around eventually. Come on, I’m sure The Proctor’s waiting.”

The Keeper led Brightly back through the maze of bookshelves. He marveled at how far he had traveled. The library was huge! How would he ever learn his way around? He shook his head; he would worry about that later.

“There you are, Bright,” Rose said, giving Brightly a hug. “Where’ve you been? I was worried about you!”

Brightly held up his book. “The Keeper was helping me find a book,” he said. He saw that Rose had a book on magical combat and the other unicorn had a book about potions and alchemy.

“Well don’t disappear on me like that again.” Brightly nodded.

“Alright, children, come along, we haven’t much time,” The Proctor said, ushering the children out of the library and hurrying them along to the next door.

Before they even made it through the door, Brightly could guess what the room was, as there were thick plumes of smoke billowing out. The Proctor either didn’t notice or was used to it, because he made no mention.

“This is the alchemy lab, where certain very talented individuals in our organization make potions and brews.” He opened the door and the children were hit with a cloud of acrid smoke. It didn’t seem to bother The Proctor, who strolled through it unaffected.

The lab was a marvel to look at. There were shelves lined with seeds, powders, liquids, roots, leaves, herbs, and a myriad of other mystical ingredients. There were three tables set up in the room, and each had a different set of complicated looking glass apparatus. There was a zebra waving a hoof in front of his face, clearing away smoke that was pouring off of a vibrant green liquid sitting in a vial. The zebra had a white lab coat and a set of thick goggles with dark lenses. Smoke still lingered in the air.

“Children, this is The Chemist. He is our master of concoctions.”

“New recruits, huh?” He rushed over to each of the children, vigorously shaking their hooves. “A pleasure to meet you all, but if you don’t mind I am quite busy at the moment.” He stopped when he reached the older stallion and saw his cutie mark. “What is your name?” he asked.

“Tonic,” he responded. The Chemist laughed.

“My, how fitting. Pray tell, do you have any experience mixing potions?”

“Some. My father ran a potion business, but he almost never let me help. Said I would get in the way.” Tonic sounded resentful.

“Do you know what the best way to mix Hargrave with Flax Seeds is?”

Tonic thought for a moment. “Mortar and pestle in a dry, dark environment.”

“What about priming wheat for use in a curative elixir?”

“Dip it in vinegar and let it dry in the sun.”

“And the difference between Elves Ear and Timberwolf bark in reference to use for an invisibility potion?”

Tonic grasped for an answer for a few moments, but soon hung his head in defeat. “I don’t know,” he said.

Brightly watched the exchange with intense interest. He didn’t know anything about alchemy and it was like the two ponies were speaking another language.

“Yes, I see.” The Chemist turned to The Proctor. “Have they been apprenticed yet?”

The Proctor shook his head. “Not yet.”

The Chemist smiled, exposing white teeth. “Excellent. I’ll take this one.” Tonic furrowed his brow, but said nothing.

“They still have to meet The Matron before they can be officially apprenticed.”

“I know how it works, Proctor, just make sure I get this one. He has quite the talent for what I do. I seem to recall you owing me a favor…” He trailed off with a knowing smile on his face.

“Very well, I will see what I can do. Alright, follow me children.” The Proctor left the room and The Chemist called some polite goodbyes before replacing his goggles and returning to his work.

Once the group was back out in the hallway, Rose spoke up. “Why do we need potions if we can all use magic?”

It was Tonic who answered. “Magic can’t do everything, and it takes energy to use. Potions can make a pony invisible, or give him seemingly endless stamina, without draining his energy like a spell would. A good potion maker can trump a good magic caster any day.”

“My, your name does fit you quite well,” The Proctor said. “I think The Chemist will be quite happy to take you as an apprentice.” Tonic nodded in appreciation. The group started moving again.

“That’s another thing,” Rose said. “Does anypony around here have a name?”

“My dear, of course we have names. We just choose not to use them. Names have power, and it is imperative in our line of work that nopony hold power over us. You will all choose new names as well when the time comes. Titles such as mine or The Chemist’s, however, are reserved for ponies who stay in the stronghold and keep it running.”

Rose fell silent. They would be getting new names? What else about them would change? It was all so much to take in for Brightly. His thoughts glazed over until The Proctor spoke and they were at their next destination.

“This is the primary training room.”

The room was spacious. There were targets set up along one wall, some round, some in the shapes of various creatures and even other ponies. There were weights and lifting benches on the other side of the room, and in the middle of the room was a large red circle drawn on the ground. Standing in the circle were two ponies. Neither moved, but their eyes were locked on each other.

The Proctor leaned down to the children. “Based on your book selection, I’d say you’re in for quite the treat, Miss Rose,” he whispered.

The blue unicorn in the circle moved, horn suddenly aglow. Small blue orbs of condensed energy fired from her horn at a rapid pace, but the other unicorn, an amber colored stallion, simply stood there. Brightly wondered what her was doing when the magical bolts dissolved in mid air, like they hit a wall. With every collision, an orb of energy surrounding the amber unicorn flickered. He moved to the middle of the arena while his opponent ran circles around him, still firing.

Then, the blue unicorn threw herself at the shield, passing through it unharmed. The amber unicorn barely had time to dodge out of the way and put up another shield to block the next onslaught of magical projectiles. By this time, both unicorns were panting from exertion. The blue one’s horn glowed a little brighter and an ethereal broadsword appeared in the air next to her. Her opponent followed her example, conjuring two small, ghostly tantos. They both lunged, magical weapons colliding with a sound like ringing steel. Blue overstepped with her swing and Amber saw his chance. He lunged with both his blades but Blue was too quick. She spun out of the way at the last instant and smacked her enemy on the back of the head with the flat of her blade. He flew out of the circle and Blue stood, breathing heavily and exhausted, but triumphant.

“This is the sparring arena, where Slingers keep their skills sharp against one another.”

That confused Brightly. They fought each other? It seemed backward. He shrugged mentally.

Practice makes perfect, I guess.

The ponies who had been sparring came up to the group. The loser was nursing the wound on the back of his head, and both ponies had sweat pouring down their faces.

“Are you two at it again?” The Proctor asked.

“Yeah,” the icy-blue unicorn answered. “This dweeb never learns his lesson, no matter how many times I pound it into his skull.” She glanced over the group. “Newbies?” she asked. She had a thick Trottingham accent.

“Yes, these are the recruits. Children, meet Winter and Summer.”

Brightly guessed that the blue mare was Winter, and that made the stallion Summer. He was the color of wheat, with a deep orange mane. Brightly wondered if they were born with the names, but then remembered what The Proctor had said. It made him sad to think that he would lose his name. It was a part of who he was, and he could change it just like that?

“Hmmm,” Winter said, examining Rose. “What’s your name?”

“Rose,” she responded, unfazed by the scrutiny. Winter had Rose open her mouth to examine her teeth, looked in both her ears, ran a hoof through her mane and coat, and examined her cutie mark, all with intense interest. Brightly admired Rose’s nonchalance; he probably would’ve melted under Winter’s gaze. Summer just hung back, regarding the group with mild disinterest.

“Can you cast yet?” A look of confusion flashed over Rose’s face before she realized what the blue unicorn was asking. She nodded eagerly. “Good.” Winter took a few steps back and motioned the other ponies away. “Can you hit that target?” she asked, nodding to the far end of the field.

“We don’t have time for this, Winter,” The Proctor said. “The Matron is expecting us.”

“Don’t get your tail in a knot, Proc; I just wanna see what she can do. It’s gotta happen sooner or later right?”

“But The Matron—”

“Hit the target, Rose,” Winter said, ignoring The Proctor. He flared his nostrils. Apparently he didn’t like being told what to do.

Rose lined up the target with her horn, which started to glow moments later. Her face twisted and the glow became brighter. Then, it condensed into a small orb of pure magical energy and rocketed from Rose’s horn—directly at the wall ten feet above the target. Where it landed, the wall splintered, leaving a smoking hole the size of the caster’s head. Winter whistled.

“You got a lot of power, kid,” she said, “just no control. I’ll be keepin’ my eye on you.” Rose didn’t know whether to smile or scowl, so she just returned to Brightly’s side.

“I didn’t know you could do that,” he whispered in her ear.

“Neither did I,” she admitted.

“Well, If you are quite finished young lady, it is time for the children to meet The Matron.”

Winter waved a hoof at The Proctor. “Yeah, yeah, I’m done.”

“Right. Alright children, this way. It’s time for you to meet the pony that keeps this place running.” The Proctor led the children out of the training room, past the alchemy lab and the library and through the lobby to the west wing. The west wing hallway was nearly identical to the east wing. They stopped outside a large set of double doors. The Proctor used his telekinesis to push them open and ushered the young unicorns inside.

It was a grand hall, almost as large as Upper Canterlot Station itself. Brightly wondered just how far underground they were that the ceiling could stretch so high. There were alcoves in the walls, each one containing the stuffed form of a fierce wild creature. There was a manticore, a cockatrice, a trio of Timberwolves, and a few other Brightly didn’t recognize. There were two wooden tables side-by-side that stretched only part way across the room, despite each being twenty paces long. Standing in the middle of it all was a middle-aged purple mare.

“Children, meet The Matron.”

The Matron was older, Brightly guessed in her forties, but she was strong. She had a lithe muscle structure that betrayed her true speed and agility. She wore a gentle smile and her eyes were jovial and friendly. Her mane was relatively short and had a violet streak running through it.

“Hello, children,” she said. Her voice was warm and inviting, and it put Brightly at ease just to listen to. She had a presence that the young unicorn just found intoxicating. Brightly had often imagined what it would be like to be adopted, but even in his fantasies he had not imagined a pony so perfectly motherly. “I am The Matron,” she continued, approaching the ponies. “It is my job to keep all of the Slingers safe and to run the day-to-day operations.

“Now, you may call me Matron or ma’am, but never anything else. Understood?” The children nodded. “Good, down to business then.” The air itself seemed to change as The Matron’s attitude shifted from kindly to somber. In that tiny instant, Brightly thought The Matron looked much older than she had before.

“When you join the Slingers, you make a commitment. You will take an oath steeped in magic and sorcery, and it will bind you to our service for the rest of your lives. We serve the good of Equestria; nothing else. There is no truth save for our truth, no justice save for our justice, no purpose save for our purpose. What we do, we do for the good of this kingdom, and for nothing else. We forsake personal gain. We do this not for wealth, or power, or for our own sake, but for the sake of everypony born in this land. This is the oath you swear. You will obey my commands, bend to my will, as I obey the commands and bend to the will of Equestria. We work in secret for the good of the masses; ignorance is bliss, and we keep them ignorant. There is evil in this world, have no doubt about that, but we seek to stamp it out. For the good of Equestria.

“You will not question your commands, you will listen and obey. Listen and obey, that is your creed, and your life. You listen to my words, for they are the deepest wishes and gravest needs of our kingdom. Listen and obey, there is no other option. What we do may seem wrong at times, but you cannot question, you cannot disobey, and above all, you cannot act on your own volition. You may think you know what’s best; I can assure you that you do not. Listen and obey. For the good of Equestria. This is how you will live. I will give you one last chance. If you choose to leave, leave now, and you will forget all about us and what we do. But if you choose to stay, I can promise you a home and a family you can trust. You will be given a new identity, and your old one will be obliterated. They will cease to exist, and you will become somepony else, completely and totally. This is the only way it can be. If you choose to leave, speak now, or forever bind yourself to us.”

Brightly glanced at Rose, who wore a look of fierce determination on her face. Even if he was willing to go back to the orphanage, he couldn’t abandon Rose. If he went back and she stayed, they would have to erase his memories of her. The thought made him sick. Brightly looked down the line. Tonic had also clearly already made up his mind. Brightly was the only one who even seemed to be considering leaving, and he banished the thought as soon as it crept into his mind. He would stay. He had to. For Rose.

The Matron’s pleasant smile returned when she saw the looks of conviction adorning each face in front of her.

“I see. It makes me happier than you can know to see such eagerness to aid our nation in the younger generation. Now that that’s settled, your induction rituals will be tonight, and tomorrow you will be assigned as apprentices to one of our Slingers. They will train you in our art, and you will learn all you can from them. Until tonight.”

With that, The Matron turned and left, seeking a door at the back of the mess hall. The Proctor led the children from the mess hall to the barracks where they would be staying, but Brightly barely paid attention to what he was saying. The young unicorn had an uncomfortable knot in his twisting in his stomach.

Have I just made a terrible mistake?

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[Listie The Scribe Maid]

(Joke) Alt. Title: Sychronzied Slingers: Almost Exactly Like Twilight And Trixie