Chapter 20
Becoming Twilight - Chapter 20 by RandomGreymane (Mike Hebel)
The group slowly crept up the tunnel. As expected, the muffling spell did not completely quiet the steel shoes on their hooves. Each step sounded like a hammer blow in the stillness. Despite their best efforts they couldn’t move very fast. This suited Fluttershy, as well as the others, just fine. Even the usually impatient Rainbow Dash was reluctant to go quickly.
I’d send Rainbow Dash ahead down the tunnel but I think it’s better we stick together. Twilight projected to Celestia and Luna.
Agreed. Luna projected back. Splitting our resources would be unwise.
As they progressed slowly forward the tunnel began to widen until all could stand side by side. Eventually the tunnel’s ceiling rose as well and, with a little relief, Rainbow Dash took advantage of the extra space by hovering above the group. Her wings made far less noise than her hooves.
Before long the tunnel ended abruptly into a cavernous room. As far as the eye could see were piles of items from the city. Gold, silver, gems, and more.
Quickly doing a scan of the area, Twilight was aghast. “Well, I know why there were so few strong enchanted items in a city this large. I’m surprised none of them have activated.”
Swooping over one of the piles, Rainbow Dash grabbed a large trophy cup. “This is the Manehatten Extreme Water Flight trophy!” she exclaimed. “It went missing shortly after the last winner did! Nopony ever found her.”
Rainbow started to bring the cup back to the group but was brought up short in mid-air as a thick thread of spider silk snapped to full tension and pulled the cup out of her hooves and back onto the pile. “Uh-oh.” she said with a half-whisper.
“Fool of a took!” Pinkie said while shaking a hoof at Rainbow Dash.
Ignoring Pinkie’s usual nonsense, Twilight instructed everypony to be ready. No sooner had she said that then there was a large crash at the far end of the room. Just barely they could see one of the large piles collapse and disappear from view.
“That can’t be good.” said Applejack as she shifted to a ready stance. Every muscle in her body tensed in preparation of the coming conflict. Despite still being in the air, Rainbow Dash was not far behind her. Her wings holding her precisely in place above her friends.
The rest of the group was ready in their own way. Fluttershy, at Celestia’s urging, was standing firm and still at the white alicorn’s side. Her eyes darted from pile to pile as the disturbance came closer to their position.
Slowly, one by one, the piles of items collapsed. The line of disorganization was headed straight for them. In moments the last pile began to shake and slide to the floor.
Emerging from the front of the pile...was a spider only the size of a medium-sized dog.
“That’s it?” Rarity questioned. “That’s what we’ve been waiting for?”
“I got this!” Rainbow said as she started to dive.
“Wait!” exclaimed Twilight. “We don’t know what we’re fighting! That spider is foul and viscous!”
“What’s he going to do?” asked Rainbow Dash as she now hovered in front of Twilight.
“That spider is OVERFLOWING with magickal energy!” replied Twilight. “Better not risk a frontal assault!”
“Nuts! I’m going for it!” said Rainbow as she flew to the top of the room and dove at the spider with her front hooves readied for the impact. Before she reached her target there was a sound like a tree branch hitting a sandbag and Rainbow Dash was flung to one side. Her speed buried her into one of the remaining piles of items with not even her tail showing.
“I warned you!” yelled Twilight. Celestia raised an eyebrow at Twilight’s peevishness but Twilight only snorted in frustration. “I did warn her. You heard me.”
“So what do we do next?” Fluttershy asked. “I mean...how do we defeat it?”
Applejack retrieved a very battered Rainbow Dash and for the next few minutes they discussed plans of attack.
“Then it’s settled!” Twilight exclaimed finally. “We’ll try and flank it so we can get a circle to better use the elements on it.”
“I can hear you you know.” said a voice that sent shivers down Twilight’s spine.
Slowly, and with no small mental control on her features, Twilight turned to face their opponent. “Excuse me?” she said.
“I said that I can hear you.” the spider said in perfect Equestrian. “Quite clearly in fact.”
“What the hay?” Applejack said as she scratched behind her ear with her hoof.
“Not so surprising if you think about it.” said Celestia. “The spider we fought in the park could speak and who we have here is...”
“Atlobraxus.” said the spider again. “At your service. So to speak that is.”
With a flourish both Celestia and Luna bowed to the spider. Twilight thought about it then bowed as well, though less deeply.
“Shall we get started then?” Atlobraxus inquired. “I wish to return to my cozy nest of items and my studies.”
“Oh you’re going down!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. It was only Applejack’s hoof on her shoulder that prevented her from launching forward.
“Umm...give us a moment please?” Twilight requested.
“As you wish.” Atlobraxus replied. “It will avail you not.” he commented with a wave of his foreleg.
Smiling acerbically at the spider, Twilight quickly cast a bubble of sound absorption about the entire group so Atlobraxus could not hear their conversation. She had the foresight to make the bubble opaque to prevent lipreading, but well lit as well.
“Okay...unexpected but not something we can’t overcome.” she said. “Ideas everypony?”
“I saw we just pummel our way through!” Rainbow Dash said as she made hoof punching motions.
“So noted.” Twilight replied. “But you saw how well that worked before. Anypony else?”
For several minutes nopony spoke. Fluttershy was the the first to break the silence. “Crush it.” she said in a firm tone.
“And how do ya suppose we do that ‘Shy?” Applejack asked. “The thing has obviously gots some sorta shield around it!”
“Oooh! Oooh! I know!” Pinkie interjected. “Why don’t we cast a ‘want-it/need-it’ spell on all the items so they are attracted to the spider and crush it!”
“Pinkie that doesn’t make a lick of...hmm...” Twilight said as her forehead suddenly wrinkled in thought. “Once again Pinkie I have to hand it to you. I think I have a plan.” Twilight said with a grin on her face. “Celestia, Luna, I’ll need your help while the others distract the spider.” Quickly she projected her plan into the two princesses’ minds.
“Atlobraxus is likely to be quick so move as fast as you can.” Celestia warned. “I will assist Twilight with her spell while Luna will work on dropping any of his protective spells.”
“Agreed.” Luna said. “Hesitate not. This is a most worthy opponent and will defeat you given the opportunity.”
Nodding, Twilight asked “Are we ready?” A circle of nodding heads signified agreement. With that, Twilight dropped the surrounding bubble.
“Oh buck me.” Twilight said as she observed a thick shell of webbing surrounding the entire group.
“I never said that I’d play fair.” Atlobraxus replied from outside the cocoon.
Whispering to her friends, Twilight simple said “Hold on girls.” Reaching for her magick, her horn lit brightly and suddenly she was alone in the cocoon. Outside the cocoon, the entire room lit with flashes as if an incredible amount of cameras fired at once. Atlobraxus briefly covered his eyes before his protective spell against bright light kicked in.
Reaching again, Twilight created a bubble around herself and expanded it until the webbing burst into pieces and fell to the floor leaving her facing Atlobraxus with a demonic grin on her face.
“So the play begins.” Atlobraxus said.
“Oh I have NO intention of playing with you.” Twilight replied, the grin on her face still wide.
Without warning, Twilight’s horn lit and suddenly the room was again filled with flashes of light. In that moment Atlobraxus felt the shadow portion of his protective spell erode away like soft sand in the wind. The shifting pattern of shadows gone, this allowed Rainbow Dash to see exactly where to hit him. And hit him she did.
With a sudden dive, Rainbow Dash struck the spider at a leg joint before careening away. The leg flopped onto a nearby pile, still twitching.
Applejack took the opportunity and emerged from a nearby pile and bucked. The steel shoes burned marks into the spider’s abdomen. She quickly ducked an attacking leg and hid behind one of the remaining piles nearby.
Seeing Applejack hide, Fluttershy emerged from behind a still working light in the ceiling and dropped a spear she had been holding. Her aim was good and the spear hit the location just behind the thorax but bounced off a protective shield and did no damage.
The distraction was just what Rarity needed though. From her hiding place behind a pile of musical instruments she used her magick to throw a pair of black glass daggers she’d found. They struck Atlobraxus in one of his eyes and the, until that moment silent, spider roared in pain. The sound was louder than anypony thought could come from such a small form, as if something larger was inside the now writhing body. The dropped leg disappeared and was suddenly back in place, the horseshoe marks gone from his abdomen.
He’s trying to make us think we hurt him more than we have! thought Twilight. “Keep hitting him girls!” she shouted.
Pinkie Pie wasted no time. From out of nowhere she produced several lemon fruit pies and threw them into the spider’s injured eye. “Hah! Take that!” she cried. “Whooooah!” she said suddenly as Atlobraxus threw the glass knives in her direction. She dodged them by hiding in a golden wardrobe. The knives stuck in the doors. The points were just short of her nose. She breathed a sigh of relief.
Twilight! projected Luna I have the means to drop the last of his protective spells!
Got it! Twilight replied. Tia are you ready? Remember, not one penny unspent!
Celestia projected a mental nod to Twilight and they both reached with their magick. Despite the still continuing distractions of the other ponies, the light from the two princesses’ horns was bright enough to catch Atlobraxus’ attention but by the time he turned it was too late. Luna dropped the last of his protections with a flash of her horn.
Every coin in the room suddenly shivered. At once they were in flight and all headed towards the same target.
In moments the room was full of the sound of colliding metal as every coin converged on Atlobraxus. No sound escaped him as the coins compressed themselves around him. With great speed they accumulated until nothing of the spider could be seen. More and more coins compressed into the existing ball. With a sickening popping noise it was over. Green ichor oozed out of the sphere of coins.
Twilight did not let go of the spell until all she could detect was metal in the center of the sphere. With a crash the coins fell to the ground.
Her breath heavy with exertion, Twilight asked “Is everypony all right?” Gravity spells seem to be more useful than I would have guessed. she thought to herself.
A quick count revealed that Pinkie was missing. A quick search revealed her slumped next to a pile of golden plates and flatware. A dark wound oozed on her hind leg. Reaching out, Applejack announced “She’s been poisoned! Ah can’t make hide nor hair of her though. It’s like a can’t quite see the poison!”
“Shadow Venom.” Celestia said. “It is beyond my skills as a healer to remove such a large quantity. We’ll need to get her to Zecora. And quickly!”
With her magick still flowing through Pinkie Pie, Applejack said “Ah think ah can keep it held back. Ah may not be able to grab it but ah can keep it in one place. Kinda like a beaver dammin a river.”
“Do what you can Applejack!” Twilight urged. “Hold on everypony! No need to be subtle now!”
Twilight enveloped everypony around her in a large purple globe. Expending her energy at the ground she shot the globe upward and through the ceiling. With great effort she eventually broke through to the surface. The bubble emerged through a street nearby the park. Celestia and Luna joined their strength to Twilight’s and the bubble sped immediately through the air to the docks and landed on the deck of the Wind Walker. Twilight released her magick and Applejack and Rarity carried Pinkie to her bunk below.
Celestia engaged her royal voice spell and instructed the crew to make all haste to the Everfree Forest. Luna quickly made some calculations in her head. “Sister...” she said.
“I know.” Celestia replied. “At best speed we are at least a day away if not more.”
“Give me a moment and I’ll solve that.” Twilight said. Her voice was heavy with her exertions but she suddenly straightened up. “We’ll have to slow down over the mountains but I can definitely speed us up. I haven’t been studying this ship for nothing you know!”
“I’ll do anything I can to help.” Celestia said. “Under normal circumstances I’d teleport there but Shadow Venom reacts to direct magick. Applejack’s magic is blocking it using Pinkie’s bodily functions but by the time the spell got us there...”
“I get it. Thanks.” Twilight said as her strength returned. Moving to the stern of the ship she reached out with her magick and constructed a place to stand exactly in the center-line of the vessel but facing astern.
“Twilight what are you planning?” Celestia asked.
Luna put a hoof on her sister’s shoulder and said “She will be the ship’s extra engine.”
“Correct.” said Twilight as she continued her preparations. “I calculate that I have enough magickal force to double the speed of the ship at least.”
“Then let us help you!” Celestia exclaimed.
Twilight shook her head. “No. I need the two of you to keep the Wind Walker together. She wasn’t made to handle the speed we’ll be going and you know it. Besides, you two need to help the crew steer. I doubt they’ve been trained for this.”
“Agreed.” Luna said. “Come sister we have much to prepare.”
“We will be at altitude shortly so please don’t waste any time.” Twilight said without looking behind her.
“Understood sister.” Celestia said as she and Luna went below.
Twilight stood still and waited. Eventually the ship rose above the level of the cloud layer. Ready? she projected to her sisters.
All is prepared. replied Luna. May the speed of moonlight be upon you dear Twilight.
And the strength of the sun be with as well. Celestia said.
Taking in a deep breath, Twilight reached for her magick.
Mass. she thought. Normal telekinesis won’t work. I need something with mass to push away from us. In an instant she had it. Sparks! Sparks have mass! We’re well above the altitude where they will burn out safely!
Her mind whirled as she constructed the necessary spell. When complete a glowing, cone-shaped, framework extended a short distance behind the ship. The pointed end nearest Twilight. Here goes nothing. Twilight thought to herself.
Twilight reached deeper than she had done before. Her eyes lit with white light. Carefully she pointed her horn into alignment with the tip of the cone.
Opening the flow of magick, and forcing her will upon it, Twilight released her spell.
And pushed.
Suddenly the cone, and the space behind the Wind Walker, was filled with a chaotic mass of purple sparks. Each one flew backwards away from the ship as it lit up the sky.
The ship lurched into a burst of speed far beyond anything the crew or occupants had felt before. Celestia instructed the crew while Luna held the ship together. The silver light of her spell threads wove their way through all parts of the vessel and held the parts with a bond greater than their original designer could have foreseen would be needed.
Twilights efforts were such that in a few minutes, rather than hours, Celestia reached out to Twilight to let her know they were approaching the mountains. Twilight we need to slow down.
I can’t. If I close off the spell now I won’t have the strength to reopen it! Twilight replied.
Taken aback, Celestia instructed the crew to adjust the ship to angle itself several degrees upwards. With a crunch she heard the edge of the keel strike one of the mountain peaks as they scraped the top of them. That was close. she said. Twilight are you all right?
I...I’m fine. the mental voice cam back weaker than usual. Are we on course?
Yes. Celestia said. Her thoughts went to the weakness she felt in Twilight. In moments Twilight responded with a wave of reassurance that calmed Celestia.
In a wide arc of purple illuminating the sky, the Wind Walker turned and was soon nearing the Everfree Forest. Twilight we’re here. Celestia projected. “Twilight?” she said aloud when she got no response. In fear she rushed up to the deck and to her former student.
Twilight had thankfully heard her and released her hold on the spell. The ship came to float above the location that Celestia specified as Zecora’s hut. Luna lifted Pinkie and Applejack to the forest floor and the three of them entered the hut of the startled Zebra. The door closed behind them and Celestia took that time to assess the damage.
Twilight lay gasping on the deck of the ship. Celestia carefully cradled her in a wing and reached out to her with her magick. Just as carefully she knitted several broken magickal strands together to completely close off the remains of the spell.
“Did we make it?” Twilight asked. Her eyes were more than a little unfocused.
“We did indeed.” Celestia said. “Rest now my dear.”
With the touch that would have been given to a fragile piece of pottery, Celestia carried Twilight to her bunk and put her to sleep. The celestial princess stayed at her side and watched her as if she were afraid Twilight would disappear if Celestia closed her eyes.
===================================================================================================
In the morning the light shone once again through the portholes of the ship onto Twilight Sparkle. Yawning, she rose from her bed only to find that her knees would not obey her command. Promptly dumping herself off the bed, she landed on top of what her unfocused eyes recognized as her former mentor.
Celestia woke and smiled. “We’ve got to stop meeting like this Twilight.”
Twilight chuckled. “Would you please just help me back up?” she asked. “I think I might have overdone it. A bit.”
“Just a bit.” Celestia said as she levitated Twilight back into her bed.
“How is Pinkie?” Twilight asked immediately after getting settled.
“She’s just fine.” Celestia replied. “It turns out that Zecora had a potion made for just such an occasion. Though she steadfastly refuses to tell me where she got the venom to test it with.”
“That’s good.” Twilight said as she closed her eyes to stop the room from spinning. “How’s the ship?”
“That is none of your concern for the moment Twilight.” Celestia said as she levitated a light coverlet over the prone pony. “Time enough for that after you’ve rested.”
“Aww but mommm...” Twilight said with a laugh. In moments though she was again fast asleep.
With a final tuck of the covers, Celestia simply smiled then left the room.
===================================================================================================
Despite help from both Zecora and Applejack, it took a full week before Twilight was up and about again. Long before that, Pinkie had baked a large load of confections and thrown a ‘Twilight Saved Me From The Nasty Spider Poison!’ party in her honor.
Being so close to Ponyville it was decided that Twilight should recuperate in her own home. Very soon after, she was lying in her own bed and retelling all that had happened to a very attentive Spike. In time she wrote it all down in her journal.
Celestia and Luna took turns handling the duties of the Twilight Council so that Twilight herself could rest. Soon enough though she was sitting in her office in the council building. Even with the help of the other princesses, the stack of paperwork was still quite large. Twilight groaned as she went through it all.
Weeks passed and Twilight eventually recovered to her previous strength without any apparent aftereffects.
She pored over the reports from the archivists that had started cataloging Atlobraxus’ collection. Impressive amount of items. she thought. In a flash something occurred to her that she hadn’t thought about in quite some time.
Buck me silly. she thought to herself again. We still have to scan all the other cities.
With that thought, Princess Twilight Sparkle began to bang her head against her desk so hard that her assistant ran to her side flustered. Twilight sighed and just rested her head on her desk.
It never ends. she thought. It just never ends.
With no further delay, she calmed her assistant and dictated instructions to send word to her friends that they will be taking another trip in a few weeks.
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If you are specifically not following canon, shouldn't this require the alternative universe tag?
Please make some slice of life style chapters before you go back to spiders. TBH I'm not very find of the spider stuff but even then it seems a little silly that you are skipping ahead weeks of time just to get back to "action". Even weirder still that it take Twilight weeks to realise that she still needs to sun other places. You should at least consider re writing the end of this chapter to be days after recovery. But even then Celestia and Luna would especially still be aware that they still need to scan the other cities.
Basically the end of this chapter doesn't really make chronological sense.
5385946 In general, 'doesn't follow canon that happened after the date you started writing it' isn't AU. You don't want to pollute the tag with that sort of thing; it's for 'what if' stories and the like.
5386052
Who said anything about more spiders? Spiders were, at this time, specifically a Manehatten thing. As for Twilight not recalling that she has more to do, well you have to remember that up until the Beater issue both Celestia and Luna didn't really feel a need to actively scan the cities. So it's not as important to them as it is to Twilight. So they wouldn't have reminded her. Also it's not unusual after traumatic events to want closure. So Twilight just kind of mentally went "Well I'm glad that's all done." and didn't recall that it _wasn't_ all done until everything had settled down.
As for slice of life there's plenty of that coming up. We aren't going to jump right back in the thick of things immediately. :-)
5386116
I was meaning to amend that note anyways.
5386116 I don't believe the tag was exclusive just for what if. Even if it is, due to the fact that the author has chosen to set the events of this story between two seasons, but not follow the events of 4 then it becomes a what if, right?
Now that was an excellently-written battle scene that believably used all the characters' canon strengths and weaknesses. It's something I could see happening in one of the two-parters (which are typically darker than most of the episodes of the show).
No, it doesn't end, Twilight. When you become a hero, you're left with a lifelong struggle, both against the external forces of darkness and against yourself, to stop yourself from ever becoming so overwhelmed that you become worse than the worst villain.
The end was priceless, all that for one city. Pinkie was also great, a well written Pinkie can make a good story great.
5403855 Sorry I was quoting this http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089886/quotes
5408198
That is indeed what I was referring to.
twilight as an engine all i had in my head was this