The Secrets of Caduceus

I needed to... Ask her to the...

"Dance?"

Huh? Did somepony just...

"Hello? Goodness, are you asleep? Here? Of all places?"

What? Where am I?

I open my eyes, and I see that I'm in a place that I've never seen before.

I'm in a... Ballroom? Sitting in a chair at a finely crafted marble table, I look around at my surroundings.

A giant room, with a beautiful glass chandelier hangs from the ceiling. The walls and floor are both made of marble. Ponies in frilly dresses and slick tuxedos dance around each other in the centre of the room.

"Where am I?" I ask myself out loud again.

I never expected an answer, but I got one anyways from something beside me, "Are you sober? Please, do tell me you are."

"I'm sorry but, who are you?" I turn to my right, and see a unicorn in a long black dress. Then I see her cream coloured face face. Then her smooth silky crimson mane, and a pair of beautiful magenta eyes gaze straight into mine.

She sits as straight as any ruler in her chair, and places her hooves politely on her lap.

"I'm hurt Apollo, forgetting me already? You've only just met me, but you could at least be a little more polite about it."

"Just met you? I'm sorry, but I don't think I've ever seen you before. Like, ever."

She sighs, and then her horn begins to glow. The glass of what looks like wine begins to float towards her lips.

"Look, I just want some answers alright? Now, I'll ask again... Where am I?"

The mare finishes drinking, and the wine glass grace fully floats back to where it originally sat on the table, "Why, you're at the Diamond Glass of course. You came here, and requested an audience with me. Did you not?"

"I requested an audience with you? For what reason, may I ask?"

"Now you're speaking in an elegant manner, such a hasty change in tone."

"I believe this is the only way of having you understand me, now please answer my question."

Again, the mare sighs, "I should be the one asking that. You were the one who piqued my interest with those roses sent to my room."

Roses? Just what did I do before waking up?

"The note I received in the bouquet was quite magnificent, it's hard to believe that somepony like you had written it. No offence of course."

"Much taken. But of course, I seem to remember it all now. I thank you for jogging my memory."

That of course, was a lie. I had no idea where I was, and I had no idea how I had gotten there. But it doesn't seem like she's catching on--

"Nice try. But I know you're still clueless."

Still? So she knew from the start?! Just who is this mare?

I reach for my gun, but it's not there!

"Nice try. But this is my domain now." She says as she hops off her chair.

The table in front of us flips on it's side, and the legs begin to move on their own! It's almost as if the table has just come to life!

"W-What?! What's happening?!"

Before I get an answer, I see more and more inanimate objects coming to life. Chairs, the dishes and glasses on the table, and even the statues scattered around the ballroom begin walking around.

Then I notice the mare again, floating in the air. Her horn pulsates furiously, as she levitates in the air.

"You have made a mistake coming here. And you've already broken out of my psychological chains, so now I must rid of you."

Just what in the world is happening?! Chains? Psychology? What does she mean?

She begins to call out to me in a distorted booming voice, "Never forget my name. For it is--"

"Hey... Hey wake up kid! C'mon it's not funny anymore!"

Somepony else is talking to me, but I can't see anypony else in this weird dream.

"Don't give in! Snap out of it! Apollo!"

"Gaagh!" I shout out loud, kicking and screaming.

"Hey hey hey! Calm the hell down kid!"

*SMACK*

Somepony's hoof slaps straight across my face, and I begin to calm down.

"What... Happened...?" I ask, panting and breathing heavily.

Ace steps back and takes a deep breath of relief, "It's about time! You were freaking out on the floor for almost ten (10) minutes! You wouldn't stop rolling around, and you finally stopped when we called your name."

"I don't know what happened... It was-- there was, a mare... In a ballroom. And then things just started to--"

"A mare?" Ace asks, before pulling out a photo from her jacket pocket, "Is this her?!"

I take the photo, and sure enough, it's definitely the mare I saw.

"Yeah, that's her! But how did you guys--"

Strings suddenly leans in closer towards my face. She stretches my eyelids apart, and I find myself gazing into her empty eyes again.

The unicorn makes me lie down on one of the limousine seats, and then begins to explain everything as her horn pulsates rapidly, "The filly you just met in your dream was none other than Aura. If you didn't know, she's a very powerful psychic. In fact, she's the only known psychic in the city. She has power, magic that even I've never seen before, that allows her to enter the minds of anypony she desires. She can manipulate and bend your conscious to her will. But the odd part is, how and why did she choose your mind to enter?"

"No idea. We're going up against this girl? Do you really think kidnapping a psychic will be easy?" I ask.

Strings' horn's glow fades, and she lets out a sigh of relief, "There, you should be okay. Your conscious should be protected from her."

Ace begins to press down on the throttle, and the limousine sets in motion again, "She's got one flaw in her power, and that's the fact that she can't enter more than one (1) mind."

"So if we all approach her at once, then she won't be able do anything."

"Exactly kid. You're smarter than you look." The skin coloured pony in the front says.

So we're trying to kidnap a pony who can manipulate the minds of any living being? What purpose does she even hold to us besides a hostage? And if we kidnap her can't she just use telepathy, or something like that, to call Martha for help?

"There's an easy answer to that, we put her at gunpoint. If Martha sends the in her forces, then we go through with the plan." Ace sternly explains.

"S-So you're serious about killing her?!" I ask, as I sit up from the limousine seats.

Everypony suddenly goes silent. Maybe they're finally feeling remorse for what they're doing.

The limousine comes to a stop, and Ace parks it in front of a very posh looking store. The bright white sign above it reads, "Blue Blood Linens"