Wish

Chapter 5

The door is about to give way and I am just standing here like a feeble animal staring into the eyes of a hungry predator. Those ponies are stronger than I could had ever anticipated being able to bust down this metal door. “Aireal? Aireal can you hear me?” Valiari’s voice sounds muffled compared to before when I could feel it echo in my mind. “I’m losing contact with you! And it will be a short while before I can establish communication again! Now just keep calm; deep breathes, and run!” The word ‘run’ feels like an alarm in my head commanding me to move. I dart away from the door and with the Moonlight cutting through the dark from the windows I can see without the stone. Struggling to slide the stone back into my pocket I hear the metal of the door finally give out and the hinges snapping from the walls.

“Where is that varmint?! Ah swear if Ah find ‘em it won’t know its head from its elbow!” Shouts the orange pony’s voice murderously.

“Applejack you take the left and I’ll take the right!” The voice of the rainbow pony advises.

“Got it!” Now I can feel the real trouble heading its way. I can hear the flapping of wings right behind me while still running down the same hallway which seems to be the longest one with only a right turn at the far end. “There you are! Where do you think your going! Get back here!” The rainbow pony shouts from behind me. My heart is screaming inside my chest as I glance back to see how far away she is, but horrifyingly she is catching up at tremendous speed. There’s only one idea I have, and that’s to let my body fall flat on the ground and hope for the best. My stomach and chest slam onto the hard floor and I cover the back of my head with my hands. I can feel the strong winds blow above me trying to pull my jacket with them. Looking up she flies straight into the wall at the end of the hall causing a vibration to be sent throughout the walls and floor. She grunts upon impact and peels from the newly made indent on the wall and falls to the floor. I can’t believe that worked! I thought for sure she would have grabbed me by the collar! But this little celebration is cut short once the orange pony finds her laying on the floor. She turns her head towards me with her face full of ferocity while I get to my feet.

“Why when Ah git ma hooves on you-you two legged varmint Ah’ll whup ya like a rented mule!” She shouts angrily. I’m not too sure what she means by that, but I know it mustn’t be good. She charges down the hall also at impeccable speed. I could swear I could see steam burst from her nostrils while clenching her teeth. I bolt back the way I came and twist around the corner. Since she’s moving so fast she needs to slow down and then turn down the hall giving me some time to gain a bit of distance. I can feel that I’m getting farther away; I just may be able to escape her and try to hide. “Oh no, Ahm not playin’ ring ‘round tha rosie witch’you all day!” Just as I’m about to disregard what she said as just another threat I feel something whirl around my waist and arms. It tightens yanking me down onto the floor with a thud. The orange pony walks up behind me a little out of breath and spins me around to face her. “Ah gotcha now you slippery rodent. You’re not goin’ anywhere.” I find it useless to try and wiggle myself loose, and since she’s already caught up to me there’s no way I can run away. Once again I’ve been caught failing Valiari for the second time. I hope I don’t have to be shoved back in another small cage, but I’m sure that what awaits me is something much worse. The only thing that could relieve some of this sense of failure would be to hear Valiari’s voice again. Just knowing that there’s someone there that I at least somewhat know can relieve tension from anything I suppose. “Uhh. . . Ahah! There you are! I’m gonna get you this time!” Says the rainbow pony deliriously while wobbly fluttering in the air at the end of the hall behind the orange pony. She starts her flight towards us while struggling to keep straight. “Rainbow wait stop; stop; stop—!” She collides into her grunting and tumbling around on the floor. The orange pony tries to get up but the rainbow pony is laying on top of her making it even more difficult. Now is my chance and I had better take advantage of it. I shuffle my arms around to slide my thumb under the rope and push it upwards. Eventually I work it up over my head and drop it to the ground.

Eagerly I stand back up but at the same time the orange pony is able to gain her footing as well. “Oh no you don’t! Yer not gettin’ away!” Whatever confidence had built up inside me has been quickly subsided. No, I’m not going to give up this time! There must be some way out of this. I’ve gotten this lucky, and like Valiari said, it’s time I figure my own way out of situations. Then it finally occurs to me, after my resisting to take my eyes off the orange pony as she crouches down ready to pounce, that I may have what I need. If I was lucky enough to still have the bag of stones Trixie had given me how do I know I do not have the other? I reach into my other jacket pocket with the orange pony staring at me with heavy intent. “Oh don’t you dare try anythin’ !” She shouts and begins her charge towards me. After my next breath lodges itself in my throat I raise my arm and hurl a smoke ball down to the ground. Upon impact it snaps and fills this section of the hall with thick white smoke causing the pony to halt and cough uncontrollably. She covers her eyes with her hooves blinded by the smoke. “W-What in the hay! Quit hidin’ behind your silly smoke and mirrors!” Of course I know better than this, so I take off running as fast as I can back down the hall where I avoided the rainbow pony. The diversion won’t last for long and it’s only a matter of time before she becomes even more enraged and continues to hunt me down.

“Hello? Is this thing on?” Says Valiari’s calming voice. Hearing his voice again brings me so much comfort I feel safe now that he is here. “I finally got this stubborn spell to work again. Anyway I see that you’re okay! Good because quite honestly I thought that this was the end for you . . . thank you for proving me wrong! . . . Except you’ve got one more problem. A very ‘pink’ problem.” Confused by what he says I impede my running and try to piece together what he means. A pink problem . . . just what could he mean by that?

“I’m on to you mister! Or ma’am, whatever you are! At least I think you’re a mister . . . but I’m going to catch you either way you big meanie!” Screams the pink pony stampeding towards me. Despite her pink fluffy mane and coat I find her deeply frightening as my heart skips a beat before taking off.

“I’ve got an idea! Just go hide back in the room where your cage was! You’re almost there just take a right and then a left!” Valiari advises. After finding my way back I hug around the wall of the doorway panting uncontrollably with fear and exhaustion trying to keep my breath under control to mask the noise. A minute of rest goes by and with the absence of sound from the halls I figure she must’ve given up. But before I enjoy what little time of rest I have I feel something soft touch the top of my hair. A pink strand of hair floats before my eyes, and two large blue eyes stare into mine with so much intensity. “Ahah! I’ve gotcha now! You thought you could slip away from me but I’m on to your tricks! Nowhere to run now buster!”

“Aireal run now!” Shouts Valiari. Without a second thought I dash from the pink pony’s upside down head back out the door. I can hear a thud and a grunt of her voice afterwards. I’m puzzled as to how she was able to hang upside down like that. There was nothing upon that wall for her to hang from! I can’t keep this up any longer; I just want to get this book and leave already. My lungs and legs are exhausted and with the feeling that the purple pony and princess will be showing up soon only adds to the anxiety building up in my mind. “There will be a door on the right side. Open it and hurry up the stairs. All of the other ponies are headed your way right now!” On the right of me is a smaller door compared to all the rest. Assuming it isn’t locked I twist the knob and rip it open. Inside is a spiral staircase that wraps all around the tower’s walls. They decline far down to the bottom of the tower, and with a quick peak down not only do I feel like I might fall and break every bone in my body; but several golden armored stallions trot across the floor and are making their way up the steps. “Don’t stop keep going!” On that command I jog up the stairs skipping over a step or two to make it quicker to the last door at the top of the staircase. I lose my footing trying to skip a step and fall to my knees. I hold my hands out to catch myself but the corner of the stone step digs into my shin. “You! Halt!” Shouts one of the guards pursuing me. I notice that all of them are holding long sharp spears by the glimmering of the Moonlight on the sleek metal. My body tenses at the thought of that sharp pointed spear piercing through my clothing and through my stomach. The sheering pain from the tearing of skin and tissue is unbearable to even think about.

“Come on Aireal get up! You’re almost there just a few more steps!” While wanting to hold the possible bruise on my leg I force myself up the last few steps to the door at the top. Gripping the knob feels like turning the key to freedom. I open it and step in while shutting the door behind me. I lean against it believing that my weak body could possibly hold back the army of guards whom I can hear still making their way up the stairs. Soon I realize that there were no guards watching the door like Valiari had said, but I then take notice of two guards laying on the ground with their bodies sprawled along the tiles. While wondering how this could have happened I find that there are many book shelves against the walls with numerous empty spaces where it looks like some were taken out. “That book should be around here somewhere I know i—” By the sudden pause in Valiari’s voice I’m sure that his eyes are locked onto the same figure as mine. Out of the five long vertical windows along the walls only one is open, and standing near holding the edges of the windowsill is a dark coated pony but most of its body is shrouded by a long gray robe that barely exposes the hooves of its front legs. Around its waist is a buckled black satchel with the protrusion of something rectangular inside. It turns its head towards me but its face is covered in shadows from its hood. The absence of seeing eyes to meet mine leaves me lost, but a smile spreads across the shadows with the Moonlight illuminating the white rows of teeth. The pony waves its hoof at me before letting its body tilt from the window about to plummet down. “Aireal run and get that bag!” Bolting towards the pony it falls before I could even get close enough to reach for the bag. I watch the pony fall as its robe waves through the air. Expecting to see it splat upon the ground below, and turning my head a little to hide the sight from my eyes, the pony’s body puffs into a cloud of black vapor. I feel lost in disbelief as the vapor then shoots off in the distance unable to be seen from the darkness of the night sky.

In too much of a shock to turn away I jolt by the sound of a loud bang at the door. “I’ve locked it but it won’t hold for very long. Let me just—” One of the book shelves along the wall grows that neon blue hue like the door before and slides over to the breaking door. “There. That should hold them back for a bit. During this time I want you to hurry and go check the shelves for any other book. Just read aloud some of the titles! Go quickly!” I’ve never heard his voice this stern before, maybe it’s because I was dazed trying to figure out how that pony altered its body into mist. I turn my attention to the shelf nearest to the window and say aloud a few titles.

“Magic of Levitation; Transformation Spells Volume Two; Spells of Sheilding; Starswirl’s guide to Enchantment; Magic of Image—”

“There! Just take that one!” I pull the book from the shelf before the book shelf flies from the door and skids across the tiles. The door is flown open and a group of gaurds form a line with their spears pointed towards me. The ponies from earlier step out in front of them along with Princess Luna I believe her name was. I cradle the book in my arms and step a step back away from them.

“Stop right there thief!” Princess Luna commands as her horn begins to glow.

“Aireal I have an idea, but it’s risky. I’m not sure if I can fully cast this spell correctly . . . But we have no other options.”

“There is no where else for you to run.” Says Princess Luna while walking towards me.

“Now I need you to trust me alright?”

“Hand that book over right this instant.”

“I want you to fall back.” I take one quick glance behind and see that I’m standing right on the edge of the window with the grass and concrete far below. The Princess begins to lose her patience and starts shouting.

“I will not stand here and play games with you all day! I shall ask you once more and if you do not give yourself up then I am fully prepared to bestow upon you the darkest of consequences!” Her voice destroys my esteem, what little there was, into nothing. The princess, the guards, and the colorful set of ponies are all staring at me with such anger. Who knows what kind of “dark consequences” she has in store for me. Valiari said that he is unsure if he can cast his spell correctly, making me ask myself if this really is a chance to take. If his spell is to fail then my body will shatter amongst the hard ground. Where as if I give up now at least I will be alive, but is it really worth the torture that she promises? Should I really give up after getting this far? I, the prey, am now faced with a pack, and my only option is to either let them do as they please, or end it myself.

“Aireal please just trust me!”

“Hand over that book now!” Knowing that I must now make my choice I close my eyes to hide them from what happens next. I have made my decision, and I just may regret it. I release the tension from my arms and hold the book gently in my hands. Looking down at it now I find it to be a lost cause. All of this was just to find a book, and this isn’t even the book Valiari had sought after. I have failed him twice, and I do not see the purpose in trusting myself much longer believing that I still have a chance. I hold the book out to Princess Luna and the anger in her face is slightly lightened being replaced by appreciation.

“Aireal what are you doing!?” Shouts Valiari.

“I knew that you would come to your senses.” Princess Luna says placidly. There is no reason to resist any further. I would rather just end the trouble here before letting it get worse than it already is. Princess Luna reaches out for the book, and the moment I’ve been waiting for arrives. I told myself that since I’ve gotten this far there is no reason to stop now. Trixie is out there somewhere and I’ll do whatever it takes to see her again. Before Princess Luna gets a chance to lay her hoof on the book I pivot back and throw myself out the window followed by several gasps throughout the crowd. Gravity pulls me down pushing the wind up against my back. I watch the window as Princess Luna and a couple of the other ponies stare down at me in what looks like a face of horror; but they are becoming indistinguishable the farther I fall. Clutching the book in my arms expecting to protect it from the fall my body curls up and my eyelids shut to hide from the upcoming ground. I can feel the impact about to take place with the strength of the air becoming more and more severe. I imagine my body breaking into pieces upon contact with the concrete below. My bones shattering and the tendons twisting with everything flashing to black. Until the wind suddenly changes to a smooth breeze against my cheek.

I can feel gravity now pulling from my feet instead of my back, and the sounds of crackling flames find my ears. Opening my eyes they curiously gyrate around a dark cave with stalagmites and stalactites reaching out from the ground and walls. Rows of torches lead from wall to wall up a small ascending stairway to a cracked podium, and beside it are two dark robed ponies like the one I saw before. I am kneeling while holding myself up by my hands on a tattered blue rug that climbs from the fractured ground up the stairs. The ponies are to busy talking to each other to take notice of me. The small noise of a pebble bouncing down from the walls echoes through the cave causes me to hold my breath from fear of it echoing as well. Between the ponies is a large gaping whole with an abyss of darkness inside, and through it emerges a black mist that comes together forming the shape of a pony. Eventually the body and robe of it form with the black satchel around its waist. “You took a bit longer than expected Sister.” The pony on the right says.

“My apologies, the two guards gave me a bit of difficulty to retrieve the book. How was your task of securing the princess?”

“We took care of her using the black resin with ease. Covering her horn in it gave her no ability to cast a single spell! Brother did an impeccable job of bringing the princess under control.”

“And where is she now?”

“She’s in the pit with no way of escape. We made sure to fracture her wings so that she cannot fly out, and with that resin we made stuck to her horn it won’t be coming off easily. I’m sure it’s staining the very bone.”

“You both have done a beautiful job.”

“Thank you Sister.” Says the female pony to the right and the stallion to the left simultaneously.

“Now we must take care of Princess Luna which shouldn’t prove to be an issue at all.” Says the center pony.

“Please, dealing with her will be like crushing a skittering insect!” The stallion mocks, and soon they all join in a joyous laughter.

“Speaking of skittering insects, Sister how did you deal with that pesky little unicorn with the ridiculous hat and cape?” The center pony asks the one to the left.

“I feel ashamed of myself for saying, but she got away from me.”

“Haha! That little pest was able to outrun you Sister?” The stallion jokes.

“I would have had her! I had her on the edge of a cliff leading down to the Tar Pits, and I could tell the fear was building up in her mind! I didn’t quite expect her just to let herself plunge down into it!”

“Do not let it get to you Sister. She more than likely perished from the fall or fell victim to the thick tar, and if not, we shall find her. Then you can do whatever it is you please with her. Besides now is not the time for sour emotions! Here is the next piece to our long awaited retribution.” The center pony unbuckles the satchel and pulls out the book laying it on the podium. “Honestly I should be thanking that pony by the name of Twilight for how she was foolish enough to bring the book to the castle!”

“What a wonderful sight.” Says the pony to the right.

“Indeed it is.” The stallion adds.

“Now with the other books we have obtained over the years, our strength, and our practices we shall create an army. There is just one more thing we need, and that is a breath of life. A powerful energy to bring forth beings under our command.”

“Oh sister we will soon have that. Once Princess Luna is captured we will have all the energy we need. Both of their horns should provide plenty.” Says the stallion.

“Oh yes Brother! I cannot wait for the ritual to take place!” Says the pony to the right excitedly.

“And neither can I. It will be just like old times. Soon we shall annihilate every spec of peaceful magic from the land! Then we shall remain the true powers of Equestria! ” Shouts the center pony, and they all join in a cheer that echoes through the cave. My mind attempts to convince me that what I’m seeing is just a nightmare. Perhaps I’ve knocked myself into a coma and this is all just a hallucination. No, that’s not possible. If I were to hit the ground from that fall I would have experienced more than a coma. The center pony’s speech starts running through my head. An army? My brain feels like it’s rattling inside my head trying to piece this all together. Just who are these robed ponies anyway? And when the one pony mentioned a unicorn with a hat and cape was she referring to . . . Trixie? Immediately I begin to imagine the worst. My bones feel weak, but before my mind can delve into its thoughts any further I take notice of an odd silence between the trio of ponies. “Brother, Sister, it would seem that we have a visitor.” Says the center pony with her shadowed face facing towards me.

“Do we now? Well, I do not remember expecting company today. Do you Brother?”

“No I don’t Sister. It would seem that a lost helpless creature has found its way into our cave. Remind me again Sister, what was it we did with the last animal that we found intruding in our home?” They all begin to step down slowly from the podium towards me, and my body is too frozen in fear to budge.

“Well Brother. It was an adorable little rabbit lost and alone just looking for somewhere to hide from the chilling rain. First we caught it and we snapped its legs so that it couldn’t run away. . .” My legs tense up as they draw closer. “We twisted its jaw and stuffed a stone down its throat so that it would stop screaming. . .” My throat feels dry while trying to swallow saliva, and my teeth clench against each other. “We tossed it into a pot of boiling water and let its blood boil with the rest of the ingredients. Finally we tore it to pieces. The flesh peeled so cleanly from the bone. . .” I have lost feeling in all of my body as they all loom over me while I press my knees against the long blue rug. “The taste was so pleasing.”

“Oh Sister please your talk is making my mouth water!” The center pony plays.

“Well then what are we waiting for? We have a nice fresh meal right in front of us!”

“I wonder if this creature can scream louder than the rabbit.” Says the Stallion.

“Well Brother why don’t we find out!” All of them join in more laughter as I look up at them with deepest feeling of helplessness that will haunt my thoughts forever, or at least . . . for however long I still may be breathing.