Children of the Night

Children of the night

Chapter 22

Life and death

Twilight had squeezed herself through the tunnel Pinkie had dug. It was much to small for her, but she used her magic to enlarge it, where it was hard for her to pass through. Shortly before she reached it's end, she heard a muffled scream, a metalic sound as if something fell to the ground, and something falling on wood. As she reached the end of the tunnel, she pushed aside the sacks that had been placed on it's exit. With a flash of her horn, she enlightend the darkness around her. Twilight wanted to find her friend as fast as she could, and drag her back with her if she had to. She had not to look long. There, at the end of a wooden staircase, lay Pinkie Pie in her own blood. Her left foreleg was bent in an odd angle, and the shaft of a spear emerged from her left flank. Twilight hurried over to her fallen friend, starting to panic.

"Pinkie! Oh no, oh no,oh no! There is so much blood. Please Pinkie, not you too, Pinkie open your eyes.... please..."

Twilight pleaded, but her friend did not open her eyes. Frightend what she might discover, Twilight licked one of her hooves and put it under Pinkies nose, to find out of her friend was still breathing. It was weak, but there was definitly air being pulled into her friends lungs. Also she noticed that her hoof came back bloody. Just as she had enveloped Pinkie in her magic, to get her back to their hideout to treat her, the door to the basement was shoved open and several Changelings came charging into the room. Twilight spread her wings and positioned herself in front of her injured friend. The Changelings seemed a little taken aback seeing an Alicorn here, but they attacked anyway.

"I don't have time for this!"

Twilightlight screamed, and shot bolt after bolt from her horn. Each and every one of her spells hit true, sending her victims flying or drop dead where they were. She tried to take care of all of them quickly, but they just kept coming! The bodies were already piling up, and her magic was growing weaker, when they finally stopped charging in. Twilights horn stopped glowing and she looked back at her friend. She could still barely make out her breathing, but it wouldn't be long until she bled to death. She had to get Pinkie out of here! Twilight focused almost all of her remaining magical energy on Pinkie. With a purple flash of light, the pink pony dissappeared from behind her. She only hoped she would be able to get out of here before any more of them came charging at her.

Twilight wanted to make her way to the tunnel, when she froze in shock. An enormous magical presence was quickly approaching her position. She knew the magic. It was queen Chrysalis herself.... She had no time to crawl back through the tunnel and close it up behind her. The spell she would have to use for that, would be detectable for a short while, and so they could be found out. Without thinking, she shot another spell at the wall where the tunnel was, causing half of the basement to cave in. Hopefully the Changeling queen would take it for a misfire on her part... Now she would have to face Chrysalis... her magic almost depleted, her body aching and feeling weak... and her thoughts still a little confused since she had pulled herself forcefully from her depression....

Back in the hideout

Rarity woke from a blinding flash of light, and the earth beneath her bed shaking. As she looked up with her remaining eye, she could make out the source of the uncomfortable dampness that had started to seep through her sheets. A gravely injured, and even less breathing Pinkie Pie lay right on top of her.... Quickly she pulled herself out of her bed, and started to gather first aid materials from a cabinet close to her bed. She had stored them there, if Applejack needed any more assistance, but she had never anticipated something like this. Carefully Rarity began to work on her almost dead friend. Without her magic, she had to do everything by hoof, all the while screaming for Twilight to come and help her.... But her screams stayed unanswered....

In the basement

Twilight looked up defiantly at Chrysalis that stood in the doorway, that led into the basement.

"What a suprise. I have been looking for you all over, Twilight Sparkle. I had not thought I would find you in a bakery. Had any craving for muffins?"

"Oh yeah, I felt a little hungry while hiding in the sewers, but too bad your Changelings caught me... So let's get this over with already."

"The sewers?"

Chrysalis laughed.

"You must be thinking that I am stupid. I have the sewers patrolled several times a day, to ensure nopony hides there. If you are going to lie to me, you really should get better at it."

She slowly began to decent the stairs.

"And by the way.... I can barely feel your magical presence. You must be really close to a burnout, so what should stop me, from just throwing you into my dungeons again? Right now, I think you are more valuable alive, then dead."

Twilight braced herself, lowering her head, to be able to charge Chrysalis if she had to. Just as she felt herself being enveloped in Chrysaliss magic, once again, she heard a loud snapping noise, and the queens grip on her was broken.

Chrysalis looked around. She knew that kind of snap. Out of the shadows stepped a verry small but still intimidating Discord.

"Now now there Chrissy. I can't allow you to do that."

The Changeling queen wanted to say something, but with another snap, her muzzle was sealed shut just before she turned herself into a pony.

"Got you there. And now to you Ms. Sparkle. I am glad to see you are ok. But.... What the hay is going on? It's not like you to get into a fight with the likes of her."

"Discord! Am I glad to see you here."

"And I am glad to see you, and I'm also glad that you finally see me as a friend, or I would be a statue again."

He gently placed his paw on Twilights shoulder, helping her to her hooves with his claw.

"But... where is Fluttershy? When I broke out of my prison a few moments ago, I found Rarity franticly treating an injured Pinkie Pie, and she sent me to look for you."

Twlight let her head hang, and shook her head.

Discords jaw dropped, as tears forced their way into his eyes. He had cried in the past, but it was always out of joy, never mourning.... He turned towards Chrysalis, his eyes ablaze with black flames. His magic was still weak, since he had just broken out of his prison, but at that moment he wished nothing more then to blow that damn insect all the way out of the solar system.

"If I could Chrysalis, I would end you right NOW! But I will have to get Twilight out of here. Don't be too sure that I won't come back once I have done that. Where ever you go, whenever you turn your back on a dark corner, be sure that I could be in any of them! Be sure that I WILL come after you once I have that damn bracelet removed!"

He had immobilized her, shortly before she had changed her appearance. He could use his magic on her aslong as she did not do that, and could not prevent her from using her magic, but as long as she stayed transformed, she was safe from him..... for now.

With a snap of his fingers, Discord and Twilight disappeared in a quick flash of light, and Chrysalis could move once again.

They rematerialized in the streets of Los Pegasus, close to a barricade that was being attacked by ponies. A little further back, stood Celestia in utter suprise. The draconus and Twilight walked up to Celestia, who was more then delighted to see the both of them.

"Twilight! My faithfull student. I am glad you are ok. How are Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie Pie? I hope they are alright. Also, I am glad to see you made another friend Discord."

"Remove that bracelet, NOW!"

The draconus demanded, pointing his claw at the golden bracelet.

"Why? I don't think it is quite the time yet to let you roam free."

"I want to put an end to all of this! I want to get rid of Chrysalis! Fluttershy is dead, and it is HER fault!"

"Discord... I can understand your feelings.... I feel the same. But please stop for now. I must talk to her."

"Fine Twilight... If you say so... But don't keep me waiting for too long!"

The draconus turned back to the barricade where several Changelings tried to fend of the attacking ponies. With a snap of his fingers he used his magic to get rid of them one by one.

"So Twilight, what did you want to talk to me about? I am kind of busy right now, as you can surely see."

"Fluttershy is dead, and Pinkie Pie is gravely injured. I need something to help Pinkie. Do you know any spells that could help? If so, please come with me, and help her."

Twilight looked up into her mentors eyes, but saw nothing but annoyance.

"Twilight, I told you already, I am otherwise occupied. I can't leave my forces right now, and I doubt you could learn the spell I have in mind fast enough."

"But princess! One of my friends is dying!"

"I heard you the first time. I am sorry for Pinkie Pie, but if I leave here, thousands could die. You are a princess now, you have to see the bigger picture. As for Fluttershy, I am sure we can find another bearer for the element of kindness."

Twilight could not believe her own ears. Her mentor... the pony she idolized above everypony else, was refusing to help her! To make matters worse, she was talking about replacing Fluttershy as if she was a broken tool, that needed to be replaced. Taking a few steps back, she shook her head.

"What's the matter Twilight? Please, if you would assist me here then I might be able to come with you. The sooner this battle is over, the sooner I have my hooves free."

"I just can't believe you!"

Twilight backed away from her even more, as if she was a terrible beast that wanted to devour her. Celestia did not understand. Why did Twilight react this way? Didn't she see, that she could not leave this place, until the battle was finished?

"Discord, let's go."

The draconus turned back to Twilight, looking at his friend with a confused expression on his face. But the unspoken question in his eyes, was only met with a shake of Twilights head. He turned to Celestia, and wanted to vent his anger on her, but Twilight placed a hoof on his chest. Before Celestia was able to say another word, the two of them had disappeared in a quick flash of light.

Celestia did not fully understand what just had happend, but she pushed the incident aside. Dicords boredom, had gotten rid of a good deal of Changelings. Right now, she had to concentrate on the battle at hoof. After that, she would be able to think about restoring the elements of harmony to their full strength.

In the hideout

Discord and Twilight stepped out of the teleportation spell. Twilight walked over to the bed, on which Pinkie Pie lay. In front of it, lay a crying Rarity, her face burried in her hooves. Not wanting to believe the indications, Twilight quickly ran over to check for herself.... There was still some pulse and breathing left in Pinkie, but her life signs were getting weaker. Twilight could see that Rarity had closed the wounds on their friend by sewing, but there was still blood seeping from her body. It was not much, but with as much as she had lost earlier, every drop mattered.

"Discord... PLEASE!"

She pleaded at the draconus, and pointed at Pinkie. Slowly he walked over, placing his paw an her sewed up left flank. Closing his eyes, Discord checked the pink party pony. A tear formed in his eye, as he shook his head.

"But you are the spirit of chaos! You even could turn Fluttershy into a Unicorn!"

"Twilight.... as sorry as I am... I can heal her body but.... Her soul has already departed... These are just the last traces of life force in her, that keep her body breathing."

"Then heal her! I'm sure her soul will...."

But Discord shook his head.

"Even if I heal her body, a departed soul can never be returned. I am sorry Twilight, but that is way beyond my power....."

"LIER!"

"Now now Twilight.... I may be many things, but a lier is not one of them.Believe me....."

As Twilight looked up from her friend,to check why Discord had stopped talking, she saw that the draconus had broken out in uncontrollable tears. They made him unable to speak as the rolled down his face.... At that moment Twilight remembered what he had said that day when they had first met...

"And my favorite.... laughter....."

He was sad over Pinkie Pies condition just as much as she was, and he hated himself for being unable to help her....

"How.... How long ago did her soul..."

"I... am not sure... But I would say... it was only moments before we came back...."

The two friends hugged each other, and Rarity while sobbing....

When Chrysalis drones dug the tunnel out, she had discovered the next day, she found three rooms that looked alot like furnished cells. Now she finally knew what had become of the cells, the elements of harmony had been in. But... the rooms were all empty. There was nopony there. In the back of one of the rooms, Chrysalis discovered a door made of a gemstone she had never seen before. It shone in all colors of the rainbow, and had two symbols carved into it.

One were three butterflies, while the other resembled three baloons. What ever she did, she was unable to open, or break the door. Even the rock around it's hinges, resisted any attempt of breaking it. As her drones tried to dig around the door, they soon found themself confronted with a wall, made of the same gemstone as the door.

Giving up on it, Chrysalis ordered the cells to be caved in, and the tunnel to be sealed. Whatever Discord had hidden away in there, she would not get at it, that she knew. Atleast, she thought to herself, she could also make sure nopony else was able to get at it....