Twilight Sparkle has been found guilty of murder, but Rainbow Dash won't let her be put away to rot. Now on the run they try to unravel the mystery that put Twilight in the defendant's chair.
The thoughts rang out like a drumbeat in Twilight’s head, she could not comprehend what was happening right in front of her. For glaring down at her from on high was Princess Celestia herself, great and terrible in her glory, no gentle smile, no quiet laughter, but instead the full might of the Eternal Sun. The Princess of the Sun had backing her the full power of the Equestrian legal system, and the sentence had just been delivered:
Guilty.
Guilty of Murder.
Twilight Sparkle had just been found guilty in the murder of Captain Spitfire. Though she had absolutely no memory of doing so, she had been found with the Captain’s blood staining her fur and a single golden feather stuck in her hair. But the hours, no, days previous she had no recollection of, not that it really mattered in the end.
Now it seemed she was to rot for a crime she did not commit, that no one seemed to believe she did not commit. Not even her friends, their judgmental gazes found in the crowd. Well perhaps they were sad, Twilight couldn’t see beyond the blur of her own stinging tears. And though the courtroom was alive with noise in her own head all she could hear were her thoughts and the blood of her pounding heart.
She didn’t notice the rush of color headed her way but felt when the other mare slammed into her taking her breath away and launching them both into the air.
“What? Rainbow!? What are you doing?!”
They smashed through one of the many stained-glass windows and out into the open sky, leaving a cacophony of noise in their wake, screams of horror or rage or even elation, she couldn’t tell with the wind in her ears.
“Saving your sorry flank, Twi! What’s it look like I’m doin?! We both know you didn’t…didn’t..hurt Spitfire! It’s just not in you…” Rainbow trailed off, no less certain, but quite heavy with emotion.
Twilight didn’t know what to say, she thought that Rainbow of all ponies would be the most angry, the most hurt, the last one to pull something like this… But that was foolish, wasn’t it? Of course, Dash would stick by her, Loyalty.
“Dash I-LOOK OUT!” Twilight’s horn lit with magic, just barely getting the barrier up in time to protect them from arrows, slung by a pursuit of pegasi.
Rainbow swerved to and fro, dodging and weaving, as Twilight worked to keep the bubble barrier around them. “We’ve gotta lose em, Twi! I need you to trust me, and hang on tight, okay?!”
“Of course, I trust you, but what are we doing?!” Twilight repositioned herself as best she could onto Dash’s back, tucking her own wings as close to her body as possible.
Twilight received no answer beyond Dash veering sharply upward, right towards a set of gathering storm clouds. She slammed her eyes closed and held on tightly. She could feel them hit the cloud, her coat standing on end, an odd cold seeping under it and leaching to her skin. Behind her eyes flashed white, the two of them shook violently, spinning and whirling. Twilight didn’t know up from down anymore. It seemed to last for hours but finally they broke through, the sun warming her almost instantly.
Her eyes snapped open to blue skies. “Oh, I’m sorry Dash!” She quickly loosened her deadlock grip on the pegasus’ neck. “Do you think we lost them?”
“For now probably, but I wouldn’t count on it holdin em for forever. We needa go someplace safe.”
“I don’t know if there is one anymore Dash…”
We can’t risk going to our friends, it would just put them in danger. And if anycreature else gave us shelter it could risk an all-out war! What do we do?
Ever Free
The Everfree
What? Who? But it is a good idea... “We’ll hide in the Everfree Forest.”
“Uh Twilight, isn’t that…yknow, dangerous?”
“Well yes, but it’s the last place anycreature would think to look for us right now. If you have a better idea for this jail break then I’m all ears, Dash.”
Which of course, there wasn’t one.
So, with Rainbow Dash doing her best to stay above the clouds the Everfree is where they headed.
Twilight and Rainbow Dash manage to touch down in a, relatively, clear spot within the Everfree. Both are exhausted, and Twilight is still quite shaken.
“So, what now Twi?”
Twilight looks at her incredulously, “I have zero idea Dash! I don’t even know how we got here! I don’t know anything from the last three days!”
Dash puts a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “Hey just breathe, okay? So, you don’t remember anything about meeting Spitfire for Pinkie’s birthday party?”
“No? Well…almost? Kind of? I remember we talked about getting the other Wonderbolt’s to come do a small show, but I don’t remember making plans to talk to any of them about it.” Faded, garbled noises start to swim in Twilight’s head, they almost sound like words, but spoken through water. Memories, maybe? But about what? “Was I acting any differently? Saying strange things or spacing out more than usual?”
“Not really.” Dash puts a thoughtful hoof to her chin and screws her face up in her best “I’m thinking” gesture. “No, you acted totally normal up until, well, you know... You said you were gonna talk to Spitfire and we should make sure Pinkie didn’t catch on. Next thing we know you’re being accused of…murder...” Dash’s face falls, it seems like the reality of her friend being gone is just crashing down onto her.
“Oh Rainbow, I’m so sorry. I don’t remember anything useful. I remember our pet play day, and then it’s just blank until... Until I came to with...blood…Blood on me. Oh moons! I might have killed somepony!” Twilight begins to gag, but there’s nothing in her stomach to retch up. She wants to, very badly. Tears begin to form in her eyes once more.
Rainbow scoops Twilight up in a fierce hug as the mare begins to sob, her whole body shaking with the force of them.
“We’ll get to the bottom of this Twi, somecreature killed Spitfire and they dared to use one of her friends to do it! We won’t let them get away with it!”
Composing herself Twilight sits up straighter, letting the last of her sobs dissolve into hiccups. “You’re right, you’re right! We won’t let them do this, whatever evil that’s trying to tear us apart with this won’t win! We’ll find the culprit and get justice for Spitfire!”
Rainbow nods with a steel like resolve, “For Spitfire.”
“If justice is what you require you may find it harder than you think to come by, my friends.” Says a calm, cool voice from the tree line.
Rainbow steps in front of Twilight protectively. “What can we do for you Princess?”
She sounds so bold, so brave, not that it will do much good against an alicorn. “Princess Luna, I’m not guilty! I’m not!”
“I am aware of that much, both of you may stand down. I come as a friend.”
“I’m sure ya do Princess but I can’t trust that, yknow? Not when we’re runnin from you, sorry.” And Dash does look truly apologetic when she says it. But true to her word does not budge an inch.
“What do you mean justice will be hard to find, Princess?” As she looks around Rainbow to the Princess she can tell Luna looks off, tired, drained perhaps. It’s confusing. Oh, it hits her, where is her crown and vestments? And it’s true, the Princess is as naked as any other pony. No crown, no sign of her royal status.
“Please, Rainbow Dash, Twilight, just Luna. I’m just Luna. There are things you and your friends have not been privy to as of late. Dark things. Things Celestia would rather keep hidden.” She walks closer, her voice never changing in pitch or tone.
“Oy! Stay back! I don’t know if you’re even really Luna!” Rainbow flares her wings and plants her front hooves, ready to attack if necessary.
“I’m sorry Luna but Dash is right, you don’t even have your crown, how do we know it’s really you?” Fear creeps up her spine, the Changelings might be friends now but Chrysalis is still at large, for all they know this is her. Ready to drain them and leave them husks in the forest.
Luna stops walking and sits mere feet away. “Tantibus, you helped me to stop punishing myself with it. Nocreature save for you and your friends know that it was more than a mere dream.”
They both relax and Rainbow stands down. “What the hell happened to you Luna?”
“Dash! Don’t be so rude!” But it’s true, Luna looks like she was hit with a particularly large cart, several times.
“Celestia happened. Rather, her paranoia did. But I can’t explain it all here, we’re vulnerable. We must move! There is an old bunker that has served me well these past few months, come, we will go together.”
Twilight shares a look with Dash, But we can’t afford to say no, can we? We are vulnerable here... They nod to each other and follow Luna into the darkness of the forest.
The bunker is obviously old, the opening made of stone and covered by large bits of dirt and other refuse of the forests to keep it hidden. Luna opens it slowly, and with effort. Inside it well lit by lanterns, what could be called furniture if one was being generous dots the hide away, along with rotting shelves. It all smells and feels musty, old. Dead. The door shuts behind them, making the stale air even more apparent.
Luna offers them water, and mush-like food. Nutrient rations used long ago by the military in active combat. There is no telling just how old it really is, but it’s better than being empty. So, they eat, and drink.
“Spitfire’s death is not the first”, Luna begins, “Just the most noticeable. This began months and months ago, we didn’t think much of it at first. Even in a time of peace evil does exist, as much as we wish it did not. Celestia sent me out into the night to find the culprit, but I could not, I tried, I really did. But no matter what tactics I chose the killer seemed to know how to avoid them. If I was in one part of the city, a death happened in the opposite end. Eventually I did find a pony but, they were just like you Twilight. Missing memories, no idea how they got there, no idea why they would ever harm anypony. But we thought we had gotten them, then we thought perhaps something was just making the crime rate climb.”
Luna pauses for water, and she looks so weary Twilight feels herself wanting to cry, “What happened to the ponies you found?”
“The same thing that would have happened to you, Twilight. Death.”
A thick tense silence hangs in the air.
All of those innocent ponies! Why would Celestia do this?!
Dash stares with horror written on her face, “But, she had to know, right? After it didn’t add up! She had to know those were innocent ponies! That Twilight is innocent!”
“Why didn’t we hear about this? Why didn’t I hear about this, Luna?! How?!” Twilight stands and starts to pace, her thoughts racing, her heart aching.
“Because we didn’t want to alarm our subjects. We thought that, by keeping it close we would prevent a panic from arising. That was a mistake, I know that now.”
Sighing Twilight sits and fidgets with her wings, “So why are you here Luna? What happened?”
“Celestia grew more paranoid about the situation. We knew somecreature must be behind the rise of violence. She began to accuse me of having something to do with it. Using dreams to cause it. And then moved to accusing me of treason. I ran, and I have been hiding ever since, trying to find the real culprit behind it all. I didn’t know she would get this bad. Celestia is not evil, Twilight, she just… She doesn’t handle death very well. She never has.” Luna looks apologetically at Twilight. As though somehow this is her own fault.
“Well there’s three of us now. We must find who’s doing this Luna. For Spitfire, for all those innocent ponies. For Equestria.”
“For Celestia too.”
Twilight isn’t so certain about that part. Her entire life has revolved around Celestia being the ever-unmovable sun. The one who stands strong no matter what is happening. But like a foal who has seen their parent be equine for the first time, she realizes perhaps that was an unfair place to put her mentor. To hold her above other ponies. Above everything. “Yes,” she agrees, “for Celestia too.”
Twilight does not sleep well that night. The floor is cold, hard, unforgiving. As is her mind. In her sleep she hears the cries of the dead, of the innocent. Of Spitfire.
Twilight, what are you doing? No! PLEASE STOP! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!
The copper tinged smell of blood fills her nose, and settles on her tongue, and she smiles.
As she bolts upright she can’t be sure if it was only a dream, or a memory. But either way she doesn’t think it will ever leave her. The rest of her life will be filled with the smell and taste and visual of blood on her fur. In the night Twilight cries. For her friends, the ponies she’ll never know, for herself.
She’s woken by Dash gently prodding her with a hoof.
“C’mon Egghead, Luna says it’s morning. Get uuupp Twi!”
Twilight groans,” I’m up Dash. I just don’t think I can move. Parts I didn’t know existed hurt.”
“Sleeping on stone is not the best for one’s health, no. But there is food, and water. We have much to plan.” Luna’s voice comes from somewhere behind her, though she can’t be sure, and doesn’t really care where.
More collected water, and questionable mush later and Twilight feels slightly better.
“I might have a lead,” says Luna, “Through the night I have been dream walking still, and we know whatever is doing this must be using the victims mind. I have found a pony who’s mind I cannot get near, even in dreams.”
Twilight perks up,” That’s great news! Where are they? Do you know? Are they far?”
“Closer than you think, Ponyville.”
Dash slams a hoof on the ground in anger. “What?! You mean this murdering bastard might be on our terf?! All this time!?”
“No not “all this time” this is just where I have tracked them to currently. It’s almost to convenient though. To be so close to where we are, but it’s all I have gotten in months of trying.”
Pacing the length of the small space, Twilight thinks. It is too convenient, screams of a trap. But what else do we have? But if it is a trap we could be risking our lives. If something happens to us who else will even try to find who’s behind all of this? Is it worth the risk? “Let’s do it. It’s all we have and I don’t like it but if it is a trap we’re not the easiest ponies to keep down at least.”
“So, what’re we gonna do? Just waltz in like “Hi guys could the evil pony please come to the front”?!”
“No Dash, we sneak in at night. Luna? Do you think you could find them if we got closer?”
Uncertain,” Perhaps? I will not know until we try.”
“Okay, so tonight we sneak into Ponyvillie and find who’s behind this!”
Under the cover of night three figures slipped into the quiet streets of sleepy Ponyville. Their mission one of justice, and to hopefully close the page on a very dark chapter.
“I believe so “ Luna pointed a hoof in the direction of some of the farmers’ fields, “That way, I sense the same void as the dream realm.”
On magic muffled hoofsteps they made their way through the soft lantern lit streets and into the dark dirt roads leading to the fields. This one was fallow and had been for some time by the looks of it. Nothing remained save for one dead withered old tree standing straight up in the very center. There was their target. For sitting under it was clearly a pony. They readied themselves for possible combat.
Twilight could feel a foreboding chill run its way up her spine, the closer they came to the pony, the worse it got. Until the fur along her entire back was standing on end. What’s wrong with me? This pony could be very dangerous but why do I feel like we should run away? Despite these warnings she pressed on with the others. Luna looked ready to apprehend the pony at any cost, and this worried her, she didn’t want even more death than had already been dealt.
The pony under the tree became clearer, they were wearing a cloak made for cold nights, the hood pulled up over their face. A horn could still clearly be seen poking its way through, however.
So it’s just a unicorn causing this?! What kind of magic did they get their hooves on? All this time she was thinking they would run into some sort of ancient being from Tartarus. Not a simple pony. But looks can deceive in more than just one way. She had to be ready to do what was needed, for justice.
The world around her suddenly, stopped. In a way she couldn’t understand at first. Her companions hoofalls had gone quiet, as had the wind, and the subtle sounds from the town. Twilight looked around her in a panic, Luna and Rainbow Dash were not moving, neither were the sparse bits of grass. The only sound was her own heart beating rapidly in her chest. She whipped her head towards the mystery pony. “What have you done?! Answer me! In the name of the Crown of Equestria!”
“I see, so you do not remember then? That’s alright. The work has already been completed Princess.” Her voice was low pitched and calm. It seemed so very familiar but she couldn’t place where she knew it.
“What work!? What are you talking about! What did you do to my memories, to my friends, to my subjects!” Her horned sparked with her vicious anger. How dare she! How dare she do this! Who does this mare think she is! For just a moment her own rage frightened her, but then perhaps it was logical, given all this vile creature had done.
“You will see in time, Princess. I promise. For now, I will go quietly, and confess to all I have done.”
And the world came back to life once more.
“Alright you! Time to answer for your crimes, you bitch!” Rainbow hovered, ready to tackle her should she try to run.
“IN THE NAME OF CROWN OF EQUESTRIA YOU SHALL ANSWER FOR YOUR CRIMES FIEND!” Luna cried in the full volume of the Canterlot Voice.
The mare did not try to run and spoke no further. She just. Nodded. And threw off her cloak, to show a body full of twisted and raw scars. They swirled about her body like a living hurricane in great whirls that must have been agonizing with every step she took. Her Cutie Mark was the most alarming thing however, it was a starburst, much like her own. Though the number of spokes where different, as was the color. While her own was a soft pink the mare’s was a bright burst of purple on her fur, with two comet like trails just behind it.
And Twilight just had to know, “What is your name?”
She smiles at her, “My name is Glory, Princess.” And it seems like this could have been a normal conversation, the kind had in the warm summer sun, while walking the White Tail wood trails.
But it was not, this pony was a murderer. This pony murdered her friend. But all her anger was gone, burned out of her like a snuffed candle. She wanted this over with, she wanted her life to move on from this terrible week.
And just like she promised Glory went quietly, with no fight at all.
Contacting Celestia was one of the hardest things she has ever had to do. Sending the message that they had caught the real culprit, that she had confessed to everything.
The look on Celestia’s face was something that will be burned into Twilight’s mind for as long as she lives. Mournful, in the most heart aching way possible on anycreature’s face. Because she knew that she had burned their once happy friendship to ashes. Twilight did not smile, she did not look Celestia in the eye. There was no happy reunion.
“May I be excused now, Princess? I would like to go home and finally sleep.”
She was given leave with the wave of a wing. All they had been through, gone with a single flutter of feathers. Her friends, at least, had been much more pleasant. They nearly suffocated her with their hugs, tears, and thankful praises to Luna. But it was the good kind of smothering, like a nice hoof stitched quilt on a fringed winter night.
Now though Twilight sat alone in her room at Friendship Castle, unable to sleep. Glory’s words echoing in her head. What work was she talking about? And why do I feel like I know her?! Did she come up to me and talk when she took my memoires? It was haunting her and trying to drive her into madness. Her deepest fear was what if the killings didn’t stop? What if Glory was just another innocent pony, sent to death by her own hoof. Another by her own hoof. No, I trust Luna not to let that happen. I might not be able to trust Celestia like I used to but I can trust Luna to do the right thing. But even still, so many questions run through her mind. What had caused such strange scars on Glory? How had she even known how to control other ponies? Such a thing should be so deeply locked away, she isn’t even sure if a Princess could get their hooves on such knowledge. Save perhaps for Celestia herself. There’s still so much she just doesn’t know. And Twilight
Needs
To
Know.
It seems Celestia still doesn’t fully trust me. Twilight sighed, again. All attempts to get in and talk to Glory before her demise failed. She was no doubt long ago departed by this point, and all her answers along with her. I might be able to get something from Luna, if Celestia wasn’t guarding her like an angry Griffon mother too! She pounds her hoof on the table in utter frustration. It felt like she was being deliberately kept aside. But why? She was INNOCENT! Not a monster, not a murderer. Damnit Celestia, I deserve some answers! She snorts, Well fine, if she won’t give me the answers I will just have to find them on my own, as usual!
No, no, no, no. NO NO NO! UGH Not one, not a single book in her entire collection had anything on Mind Magic except for small snippets warning a user away from their use entirely. That must be why Celestia was keeping her out. The books must be locked away in Canterlot. Because of course they are, and of course she doesn’t trust me to know how to read them and NOT use something so vile. She must think so horribly of me, even now. That thought made her heart fall into her stomach. The thought that Celestia would keep her from knowledge because of some misplaced paranoia. Or distrust. But, in reality hadn’t it always been their way? Twilight the ever-eager student had to wait for knowledge to be bestowed upon her, even her own ultimate destiny of being a Princess had been kept from her! Shell, she wasn’t even asked if she wanted to be one before hoof! Celestia decides it’s time and BAM, wings! No “So Twilight, how would you like to be a Princess?”, nothing! Zip! Twilight all but stomps around her library, hoping for some small nugget of information. A reference to another tome, a dictionary definition of spells, something, anything! Books come flying off the shelf almost faster than her magic can cope with, almost.
In the end the search proves futile. If she wants anything she’ll have to suck it up and demand it from Celestia herself.
“Twilight! Twilight, mail’s here! You didn’t tell me you ordered more books, don’t we have enough?” Spike come’s fluttering around the doorway, envelops and one carefully wrapped book in claw.
But to her knowledge she hadn’t ordered more books, perhaps one of her friends or even Cadence had sent her something to cheer her up. Well it’s not the book I’m looking for but maybe it will make today better. “Thank you, Spike. Did you have any other plans today? If not, could you help Starlight at the school? I’m still not really feeling up to my usual standards.”
He laughs a little, “You just wanna read your new book, but it’s okay. I’ll help her out today. Take all the time you need, Twilight. Nocreature wants to rush you into things faster than you want to go.”
As he leaves she can’t help but feel sad, it seems Spike had grown so much in just a week. But that’s just how time marches on sometimes. And she has a new book to get lost in, as she gently rips through the paper her brain freezes upon the title: Mental Magics by Magic Star .
Twilight stared in horror at the book before her, How? Who knew? I don’t know if I should even chance opening it, what if it’s been booby trapped? But a quick series of spells told her it was just a normal book, if a very illegal one for her to have right here in her library. I shouldn’t open this alone. I shouldn’t be taking this alone. But who can I call on? Luna is probably busy… Rainbow, I’ll ask Rainbow to come over. Let her know what’s going on. Yes.
She fished a small parchment from the pile of things now surrounding the library from her earlier frantic searching.
Dear Rainbow,
I need you to come meet me at the library. I have things I need to talk about. Very important things.
Twilight
She rolls it up and calls for Owlicious, “I need you to take this straight to Rainbow Dash, can you do that for me please?” The little owl gives her an affirmative hoot and takes off out of the window towards Rainbow’s cloud house.
“Sup Twi? You look like you just pulled three all-nighters!”
Rainbow touched down in the middle of the room, looking around at the chaos that was her library. Piles of books and parchment in all directions. Twilight herself was still staring at the infernal book.
She starts to pace, “Okay Dash I know this might sound crazy, but I think there’s more going on than we first thought. I just have so many questions I can’t get out of my head. That unicorn, Glory? Why did she have so many scars, and she felt so familiar to me Dash! Like I know her from somewhere! I tried to speak to her before her sentencing but Celestia wouldn’t let me! In fact, it feels like Celestia is trying to keep me out of the loop on purpose! And today this book arrives!” She grasps it with her magic and shakes it in front of Rainbow’s face. “Who could have even known I was looking for mind magic? It’s also very very illegal to have in your possession.”
Dash puts her hooves on Twilight’s shoulders and shakes her gently, “Breathe, Twilight. Yeah it does sound crazy, but so does making friends with Discord or chasing after Nightmare Moon instead of runnin away. Lots about our lives are crazy.” She waves her hoof in a dismissive gesture with a smile.
“Heh, thanks Dash. I knew I could count on you.”
“Yep, I’m awesome duh! So that book? Why’s it so illegal? Just looks like a regular old book to me.”
“This book is all about using magic on the minds of other ponies I think. I haven’t actually opened it yet. I didn’t want to be alone in case something happened. But if it is Dash, it could tell us how Glory used me to kill Spitfire.” She places the book back on the table and looks at it with uncertainty.
“Well I’m here now, and we need to know Twi. I gotta be honest I haven’t really been sleepin well since all of that happened. Look, I know I’m not the most book smart around, kay? But I know in my gut somethin doesn’t feel right Twilight. We need answers.” She moves to stand beside Twilight and look at the book with her, “If this thing can tell us how this happened we gotta try.”
Twilight nods with determination and opens the book.
Welcome to the world of Mind Magics! In this book you will find how to make the ponies around you just a little more agreeable to you.
Mind Magic Introduction
Mapping the Mind
Mind Melding
Memory Manipulation for Everyday Uses
Love or Hate the Art of Emotions
Aura Spells for Every Occasion
Reading the Mind of the Dead
Closing
They both stare at the table in shock.
“Dash, I think I need to read this book.”
“Yeah, me too. You want me to stay over?”
“Yes please.”
Twilight takes the book with her to comfy cushion and settles in to read what could be the darkest tome she has ever laid hoof on. But there’s no turning back now. She needs to know. Dash flutters over to a pillow nearby, giving her the space to read and think. She seems to be on guard, as thought they’re in danger of being jumped at any moment. They might very well be, who knows who actually sent the book after all.
Twilight takes a deep breath like Cadence taught her and begins to read.
