Chapters It didn’t matter how many times Twilight Sparkle was called to the palace, she was always impressed by the grand architecture of the magnificent castle. The lofty, gentle arches of the corridors with their luxurious, intricately woven tapestries hanging above the sophisticatedly carved mantles all spoke of expert craftsmanship; droves of ponies at the tops of their fields must have worked long hours to build such an ostentatious dwelling for their princesses. The red carpet beneath her hooves led in all directions, precisely in the middle of the floor. It was made of some extremely soft material, perhaps a silk blend of some kind, which was embroidered with celestial bodies of the sun, moon, and stars. The stairways all had gilded railings that had been polished until they shone, reflecting the natural light which filtered through the enormous stained glass windows. These were truly the pride of Canterlot Castle; works of art that not only spoke of insurmountable artistic skill but also held the history of the kingdom within their panes. Twilight was more than well acquainted with the panes and their narration; not only had she spent a good amount of time right here in the castle, she was also featured in one or two of the accounts herself.
She paused on her way to the throne room to look up at one of the windows that caught her eye. It was a rendering of a pair of alicorns, wings spread out to their sides and horns proudly jutting from their foreheads before them, lifting a pair of spheres in the sky. One held the yellow globe of the sun above her, bathing her white coat in warm rays of orange; the other held a smaller orb, white as bone, above her, bleaching the dark blue hairs of her mane with the faint light of the moon. A representation of each of the three types of ponies bowed beneath them: first a unicorn, then a pegasus, and finally an earth pony. It was supposedly one of the first windows that had been made for the castle back when the princesses had taken over the duties of running the country and the responsibilities of raising and lowering the sun and moon. A gesture of goodwill on the part of the artisans of Equestria for their new rulers.
It came before the time of Princess Luna’s descent into Nightmare Moon. Before her banishment to the celestial body she had once commanded. Twilight always felt a sense of pity looking at the colorful panes and the peaceful ponies within; those long dead mares and stallions would never have known that their beloved princess of the night would lose her rights to that orb in the heavens. Even in these modern times it was rare for Luna to bring forth the moon. Princess Celestia wanted her sister to get reacquainted with the world she had left for a thousand years before she took up the pressure of the night and the tides once again. A reasonable agreement, Twilight thought, since Luna was now free to mingle with her subjects and hopefully make some friends. It did cause the small purple unicorn to wonder if the strain was ever too much on their fair princess of the sun, but Celestia always seemed strong and composed. If she was weary of the burdens she would never show it.
Thinking of the princess got Twilight’s hooves moving again. She had been summoned by her mentor to the castle all the way from Ponyville with an urgent message.
“Come to me. Quickly.”
The enigmatic nature of the dispatch frightened Twilight, so she threw a few things into her saddle bags and raced out the door to the train station without saying a word to any of her friends or to her baby dragon assistant, Spike. She had barely managed to catch the last train of the day to Canterlot, and she spent the duration of the trip mulling over possible explanations of her summons. Maybe she should have had Spike send a reply with his dragon magic, told the princess she was on her way. It was too late to fix, but she felt a stab of guilt that she had somehow managed to not consider the possibility sooner. What if the princess was waiting for a reply and she had caused her ruler to suffer the silence? She also wondered at the manner in which she had been summoned; the princess typically communed with her student through letters sent through Spike's dragon magic, but this time the letter had arrived with a small red bird that vanished into a wisp of smoke after depositing the letter in Twilight's hoof. It was odd to say the least that the princess would take pains to circumvent Twilight's assistant. Even as she wrote it off as a matter too important to send via dragon, Twilight felt ill at ease. She wished the train could move faster.
As it were, the trip lasted into the night and they arrived as the first rays of dawn peeked over the hills and spilled into the sweeping valleys of Canterlot.
Now that she had arrived at the castle she felt herself dragging her hooves, studying the architecture no less, in an attempt to delay the inevitable. She was so close to the princess, but dread weighed her down like a lead weight around her neck. She could only wonder anew what could possibly call for such a summons. She began to wonder if she hadn’t done something wrong. Maybe she had offended the princess in one of her reports. Maybe the princess was going to order her to move back to Canterlot for the duration of her studies. The clip-clopping of her hooves slowed in tempo.
And yet, despite her lollygagging, Twilight found herself walking through a pair of large golden double doors into the most sanctimonious rooms of the castle: the throne room. Window after glorious window shone in a spectacular multicolored array on the walls and columns and pillars that decorated the inner sanctum. The deep red carpet led straight up to the three tiered golden throne, accented by two unlit candelabras and a royal purple tapestry. Atop the throne lay the princess as beautiful as she was benevolent. Her white coat was speckled in reds and oranges as light filtered through a stained glass picture on the wall beside her, her delicate wings folded gently against her sides. Around her throat she wore a thick golden collar engraved with mild patterns and inlaid with a single beautiful amethyst which matched the one in the center of the delicate tiara she wore settled behind her horn. Her multicolored mane flowed behind her like a creature alive, undulating in waves of cerulean, sea foam green, periwinkle, and lavender. She regarded Twilight with large purple eyes. Twilight bowed.
“You sent for me, Your Highness?”
Twilight could feel her heart begin to beat harder in her chest; it almost felt like the muscle was slamming into the walls of her ribcage, causing it to become harder to breathe. The princess had this effect on her; she was stunning, awe-inspiring, and powerful. She was a beloved teacher, but Twilight still couldn’t shake the fear that had settled in her bones and sparked in her nerves. She could feel a slight tremor beginning in her legs. What was this terrifying premonition?
“Ah. There you are, Twilight. I am glad you could come so quickly. Please, come up here.”
Twilight rose from her bow and made her way, slowly, towards the throne. She couldn’t help herself from looking at the windows instead of the princess herself. There was her and her friends defeating NightMare Moon with the Elements of Harmony, Discord-- the draconicus of pandemonium-- wreaking havoc on Equestria, the princesses defeating Discord for the first time, and then there was the newest addition. She paused to glance at it, even as her better instincts warned her from keeping royalty waiting. It was centered on that creature of chaos, Discord, but the real story was told in bold stripes of color that led to six mares: two unicorns, two pegasi, and two earth ponies. Her and her friends. The Elements of Harmony.
Maybe she should have told them where she was going instead of just running off like that. A chill ran down her spine as the glassy eye of Discord stared down at her. Why couldn’t she shake this feeling that something was horribly wrong?
Twilight advanced up the ramp to the throne, stopping just short of the princess and ducking her head again in a formality that she didn’t normally use. The princess was like a second mother to her and typically they acted informally, like friends. Even now as Twilight noticed the distinct lack of guards in the room she couldn’t help but feel that she would do well to keep a bit of distance. Where were the guards, anyway? Surely there was nothing they could be doing that was more important than keeping the princess safe?
A gentle hoof encased in a delicate golden slipper lifted Twilight’s chin until the unicorn was looking right into the eyes of the princess. Her eyes were unreadable; her face a stony mask of mystery.
Then the princess smiled, “My most faithful student.”
Twilight’s heart skipped a beat. She felt a great rush of joy whenever the princess called her that.
“I have a request I must ask of you.” The princess continued.
Twilight nodded enthusiastically, her words tumbled out of her mouth in a rush, “Of course! I would do anything for you, Princess.”
The princess swung her neck back, albeit gracefully, and gestured with her horn at some object outside of Twilight’s range of vision. The alicorn’s horn glowed yellow as her magic began working to bring the item forth, hovering for a moment before the princess draped it delicately on her extended hoof. It was a necklace, a thick silver collar modeled like the princess’ own golden one, with a brilliant emerald set in the base. The polished surface caught the light and reflected back brilliant rainbows that danced on the little unicorn’s face.
Twilight said nothing, but looked at the princess, puzzled, but secure in the knowledge that her mentor would explain the significance of the object in due time. And yet the collar seemed to have some kind of ominous aura clinging it to that caused the unease in Twilight’s stomach to churn fiercer the longer she looked at it. Her eyes reflected back at her, amethyst, just like the jewel in the princess’ crown.
The princess was watching Twilight, saying nothing, the collar extended between them in an expectant silence. Moments ticked by, and Twilight’s disquiet continued to grow.
Finally the unicorn asked, “What is it?”
“A symbol,” the princess answered after a brief pause, “that I want you by my side.”
Twilight felt that flutter in her chest again. The princess… wanted her?
The smiling alicorn lifted the necklace above Twilight’s head and lowered it gently over her ears, settling it against the base of her throat.
“A token for my most faithful student.”
Emotions battled in her gut like a typhoon, each more urgent than the last. The joy of being recognized, appreciated, by the pony she admired the most waged war on the rising cry of warning that sang in her ears. Something was amiss! And yet all she could think of was how wonderful it was to be here with the princess. Wanted. Needed.
She lifted a hoof to the fine piece of jewelry at her throat and gazed at it with admiration. She had never owned something quite so fine. Rarity would be jealous, that’s for sure. The thought of Rarity brought back the sense of foreboding that was building in her temples and throbbing behind her eyes. Rarity didn’t know where she was, did she?
An odd expression settled on the princess’ face. Twilight tried to puzzle out the emotion there, but she was still trying to sort through the static that was firing in her brain. Danger. Danger. Danger.
“Now,” the princess sat on her throne again and allowed a smile that seemed more like a grimace to grace her muzzle, “you can never leave me.”
“Leave you?” Twilight asked, “What are you talking abo-”
The first spark leapt fiery red off the glistening silver of Twilight’s collar, falling and fizzling out on the floor between her hooves. Twilight only had half a second to wonder what it could have been before pain seared through her, exploding behind her eyes and scorching the marrow of her bones. Red sparks flew off the collar with reckless abandon now, arching high above her head, landing on her back, and surrounding her in a sphere of sputtering light. Twilight could hardly stand to stagger backwards as she felt her muscles devolve into some kind of useless gelatin. She fell. Her jaw clacked audibly on the floor; the taste of copper filled her mouth as she bit through her tongue. Screams ripped from her throat bounced obscenely around the empty throne room as dozens of smiling glass ponies looked down on her with empty eyes, watching. Tears began falling, trailing wet patches of fur down her face. Her screams faded into chest-wrenching sobs as her limbs began jerking around underneath her.
The sparks began to die away, and slowly the pain receded, leaving Twilight weak and trembling on the floor. The unicorn tilted her head back so she could see the emotionless face of her mentor staring down at her.
She managed to form a single word, “Why?”
The princess looked at her small, trembling apprentice with a disapproving frown, “Now you are mine forever.”
Twilight retched all over the beautifully embroidered carpet.
Celestia glided over to stand above the bedraggled, weeping pony and stroked her sweat soaked, indigo mane with gentleness that seemed repulsive for the situation.
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of you. And when you’re better you’ll realize that this is what you wanted all along.”
Discord smiled down at Twilight from his glass pulpit, maneuvering the strings that guided the ponies below. It seemed a pity; the ponies would never know who was guiding their hoofsteps until it was too late.
~~Author's Note~~
Whoops. This isn't a Twinkie romance story. Silly burrito!have to finish it. I suppose we'll see how that goes.
Three days Twilight Sparkle had been missing from Ponyville.
Spike had returned to the library from an errand on the day of her disappearance to find it completely empty, a desolate shell of knowledge devoid of any life. He was not concerned until night fell and she was nowhere to be found. He searched the library from top to bottom for a note of some kind that would explain that she had gone to the zebra Zecora’s hut in the Everfree Forest to study some new tonics or that she was going to be out all night charting stars. But there was no note to be found.
The next morning when there was still not a hide or hair of Twilight to be found, Spike began asking around Ponyville if anypony had seen her. Not a single pony could remember seeing her since the day before last. Spike’s worries grew. The young dragon asked Twilight’s closest friends to help him search for her; it didn’t take much convincing to get them on board.
Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, the pegasi, searched from the sky, scouring Ponyville and its immediate surroundings. Applejack and Pinkie Pie joined forces to comb the Everfree Forest. Rarity made further inquiries of Ponyville residents, adding the certain charm that Spike lacked.
Spike wrote to the princess. It was a long shot, but he knew that if the princess had called for her she would have gone running without hesitation. It was unlikely though, since Spike was the mode of communication the princess and Twilight used for their back and forth dialogs and not a single scroll had been exchanged in days.
He sent his enquiry. It didn’t take long for a response to arrive.
“Dearest Spike,
Twilight is not here at the castle. I am dreadfully sorry to hear that she has gone missing. Please continue your search and let me know of any developments. I would come and help myself, but matters of state keep me stuck here in Canterlot.
Princess Celestia.”
The message seemed off to the baby dragon, but he put it from his mind in order to concentrate on the more pressing matter at hand. Where was his Twilight?
Night fell and still there was no sign of her. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy collapsed on the floor of the library, wing sore and tired, with nothing to report. Applejack and Pinkie Pie had found nothing in the forest but an angry manticore and a patch of poison joke. They reported that Zecora hadn’t seen Twilight for at least a week.
Rarity shook her head sorrowfully at Spike, “Nopony in town has seen her in days. It’s as if she has simply vanished!”
Spike ran his claws over his scales, “Did you check the train station?”
Rarity nodded somberly, “But of course I did! I asked all about the trains running the day she left, and he said that it was a particularly slow day. Not a soul rode the last train to Canterlot, he lamented, and he proceeded to go on and on about the wasted trip and how he would have rather been asleep! Although, he needs a bit more sleep if you ask me; looked dreadfully puffy around the eyes.”
“Sugarcube,” Applejack interrupted, “All this nonsense isn’t getting us any closer ta finding our friend.”
Rainbow Dash nodded, “Yeah! What do we do now?”
Spike tapped a claw on his forehead, creasing his eyebrows together in thought, “I don’t know! If Twilight were here…”
Pinkie Pie spoke up, “Yeah! If Twilight were here she would know exactly what to do to find her! Oh. But I guess if Twilight were here then we wouldn’t need her to find her. She would already be here!”
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, “Yeah. Real helpful, Pinkie.”
Pinkie Pie stuck out her lower lip in a pout, “I don’t hear you making any suggestions.”
From there the room devolved into frenzied arguing. Rainbow Dash chased Pinkie Pie around the room, both yelling at the other at the top of their lungs. Fluttershy chased after the pair, attempting to settle them down. Spike didn’t even see what set Applejack off, but suddenly she was engaged in a one-sided screaming match with Rarity. All of the little dragon’s protests were drowned out by the din that had erupted in the library.
“You darned stubborn unicorn! Why, I oughta-”
“You’re just being a big meanie!”
“You’re just being annoying!”
“Oh girls… Please, if you don’t mind… Could you maybe possibly consider…”
“Don’t be so uncouth , Applejack.”
“Uncouth?! Uncouth?! I’ll show you uncouth!”
“Please… Can’t we all just stop fighting?”
“Big meanie! Big meanie! Big meanie!”
“Shut your mouth, Pinkie!”
Suddenly, the door to the library flew open with a thud, shocking the ponies into silence.
Spike whirled around, “Twilight?”
A pale pink mare stood in the doorway, mouth slightly agape, ears flicked back in surprise.
“Um… No.” The mare took a step backwards over the threshold of the library, “Mayor Mare has called a town meeting. She says it’s very important every pony be there.”
The five ponies and Spike exchanged worried glances as the pink pony slipped away back into the evening air.
Spike grasped his tail in his claws, a nervous gesture that brought him a modicum of comfort, “Do- do you guys think that that’s about Twilight?”
Applejack slipped the small dragon onto her back, “Don’t you worry now, Spike. Ah’m sure Twilight’s just fine. Let’s not dally y’all. Let’s go see what the mayor has ta say.”
The ponies filed silently out of the library behind Applejack; not even Pinkie uttered a word all the way to the town hall where the entire population of Ponyville was gathered, murmuring anxiously amongst themselves.
Mayor Mare stood behind her podium, an all too sweet smile stretched across her cheeks, leaving the corners of her eyes untouched. She seemed to be scanning the crowd, estimating, perhaps, if the crowd was about the size it should be. Her eyes lighted upon the newly arrived group, darting to the face of each pony, counting again? One. Two. Three. Four. Five…
It would have to be enough, most every pony in town knew by now that Twilight Sparkle, newest resident in Ponyville and protégé of the princess, was nowhere to be found.
Mayor Mare cleared her throat before the microphone, “Fillies and gentlecolts, please. If everypony will settle down we can begin.”
An uncanny hush fell over the crowd. It seemed as if each individual pony was holding their breath, praying for good news but knowing it wasn’t going to come. Hardly anypony could be so blind as to know when things were about to take a turn for the worst. Twilight’s disappearance was a bad omen, the beginning of something much more sinister.
Spike twisted his tail in-between his claws, it was painful and yet it eased the tension in his stomach that tied his insides into knots and burned the back of his throat. Rarity put a gentle hoof on his back for comfort, but for once he was oblivious to the gorgeous pony. His thoughts were only on Twilight. His boss. His best friend. His sister.
Mayor Mare shuffled some papers around with her hooves before continuing, “I’ve just received a directive from Canterlot. It seems that Princess Celestia is instating a new regime. It’s been ordered that higher taxes shall be instated and strongly enforced”
An uproar erupted from the crowd as ponies began stomping their hooves and shouting nonsensically towards the mayor. The middle aged mare tried in vain to reclaim control, but had to wait for the crowd to settle before she could be heard again.
“A new set of laws have been passed which include compulsory curfews and restrictions on speech…”
A single voice boomed above the din of the newly ignited crowd, “This is tyranny!”
A pair of pegasi clad in dark armor lunged from the top of the town hall where they had been lurking and grabbed a dark blue earth stallion between them. The crowd fell silent once more as the pegasi swooped back into the sky, the earth pony between them flailing and screaming. They climbed higher and higher until they were barely visible to the crowd below.
And then they dropped him.
Applejack was the pony who was able to tear away from the sight of the plummeting pony to shield Spike’s horrified eyes from the scene. She clutched him to her body and began frantically talking directly into his ear in an attempt to block out the sounds.
“Spike. Listen ta me now, Spike. Everything’s gonna be alright. Don’t listen ta anything else, Spike. Just listen ta me. Everything’s gonna be alright.”
Dead silence.
Two sets of hooves thudded on the wooden panels of town hall’s porch, flanking the mayor. The old mare licked her lips and gave a single nervous chuckle into the microphone before shuffling her papers again. The pegasus to her left flapped his wings once, irritably; the one to her right stomped a hoof with a barely audible growl.
Papers flew everywhere and Mayor Mare bent shakily to grab them, “I-I’m so sorry, everypony. I just seem so clumsy tonight.” She set the pages back on the podium and stared at them blankly for a moment. Her gaze fell back on the crowd, sweeping the faces, searching for something. She apparently couldn’t find it, “Any and all speech against the princess shall be met with… harsh retaliation. Be aware that all new statutes shall be posted in the town hall. Everypony will be held responsible for the new content starting tomorrow. That is all. Please make your ways back to your homes. Curfew is long past and shall be enforced starting tonight. Thank you for your… kind attention.”
Nopony said anything as the crowd dispersed quickly, each pony heading for home. Spike found himself being carried to Sweet Apple Acres astride the unshakable Applejack. They were joined wordlessly by Big Macintosh just before they hit the outskirts of town. The large red earth pony eyed Spike with a dull expression before returning his gaze to the road. The siblings pretended not to hear Spike’s choking sobs.
***
“We can’t afford these new taxes and expect to last the winter.”
Applejack paced back and forth across the kitchen, all too aware of wide-eyed Applebloom gazing at her from around the corner, who assumed she was hidden from sight. Granny Smith sat in her rocking chair in an endless cycle of back and forth that elicited creaks and groans from the old piece of furniture that needed to be put out of its misery. Spike was upstairs, hopefully asleep in the guest bedroom. Big Macintosh stood on the other side of the kitchen table, a chart and a bunch of fancy mathematics scrawled across a slew of sheets of paper that were slapped hastily together atop the splintering wood. He was right. He was always right. He had a head for figures, that one, and Applejack knew better than to argue.
Applejack stopped her pacing and stared at Granny Smith, “What do we do, Granny?”
Granny just stared off into space, fascinated by the wood grain of the door post, perhaps, or maybe just deigning to say nothing at all. Let the younger generation handle the business now; she’s old and tired.
Applejack turned back to Big Macintosh, “Well? What’d you think we should do?”
Big MacIntosh lowered his eyes to the table, “Family comes first.”
Applejack slammed a hoof on the ground, “And consarn it! What does that mean?” She lashed out with her hind hooves, clipping a solid oak support beam, and shaking the house. Applebloom’s head disappeared for a moment before reappearing, eyes wide with fright.
Applejack sighed and shook her head, “What’s best for the family, Big Mac?”
Big Macintosh just stared back at her with those droopy green eyes of his.
Family comes first.
--Author's Note--
There are parts in this section that are a little iffy to me so feedback is appreciated (And any typos you might notice because it's embarrassing what slips by my radar).real in Ponyville now.
Night flying was dangerous; the darkness obstructed many things from a pegasus’ view that could be potentially fatal. Trees, storm clouds, and even raging wind currents were hard to detect by the faint light of the moon. And yet it was one of the best times to go flying; the world below slumbered on and slowed down, basking in the pale glow of the stars while a lone pony soared above it all. It could almost make a pony feel immortal, figuratively above all the petty squabbles and troubles of the ground dwellers. Let the earth ponies worry about whatever it was there was to worry about, but pegasi are free. Unfettered. Untamed.
The stallion glanced around to make sure no one was watching before he attempted a few more difficult tricks. Flying in armor was a feat in itself, but flying in tight loops and spirals while the coarse padding chafed at the base of your wings was maddening. He liked the way that the moonlight glinted off the polished silver of his breastplate, and his white coat seemed to gleam in the darkness. In that moment, life was good. Regardless of all the unrest and change that threatened to tear the land apart, life in that moment was the simple joy of flight.
He barely had time to register the shadow above him before the impact. Hooves clanged against the armor protecting his back, and his wings jerked inward to buffet the assailant; the pair began to plummet out of control towards the ground as the guard attempted to twist and face his attacker with the business ends of his hooves, but the other pony clung to his back and twisted with him. He felt his helmet wrenched from his head and watched it fly off. Teeth clamped around the soft skin of his neck and he bellowed in pain, trying once more to reach around and pry the pony off him.
The ground came nearer and nearer and the guard took pleasure in the thought that when they hit the ground his aggressor would take the brunt of the damage. As if reading his thoughts, the other pony suddenly disengaged and shot to the side like a rocket. The guard attempted to right himself, but only succeeded in getting himself right side up before hooves clanged on his armor again. This time the pony was pushing downwards, speeding them both towards the ground with immeasurable force. The guard began to scream as his wings proved useless against the thrust of the pony behind him.
The ground was not kind; it never had been a gracious host to proud pegasi who found their wings lacking. But at least the end had come swift.
Princess Celestia sat perched on her throne, a place she rarely left these days save for the occasional journey into the countryside to quell the pathetic attempts at revolution only the most backwater hamlets were entertaining. She gazed into the orb that she was levitating, an invisible monitoring device into the space where she kept her most precious of possessions. She couldn’t help but watch for hours at a time, and she felt the most bitter of rage for things that drug her away from it.
Like now. The head of her armies, a ruddy brownish red stallion with a short dark brown mane, strode into the throne room, bowing with due diligence, but still walking with that swaggering gait that piqued the princess.
“General Blitzkrieg, what is the meaning of this interruption?”
Blitzkrieg angled his head towards the ground, “Forgive me, my princess, but I bear news from the area of interest you assigned.”
Celestia set her orb down gently on a plush lavender pillow before standing and descending from her elevated plateau to position herself before the pegasus stallion, “Out with it. What news?”
He looked her right in the eyes, something she did not like, “Troops have been going missing over the past two weeks. At first we assumed they were deserters,” Blitzkrieg flicked his stub of a tail in anger, “But then we discovered the bodies.”
Celestia narrowed her eyes, “How many dead?”
“Four that have been found,” Blitzkrieg snorted, “But three more are still missing.”
Celestia began to pace, “Any sign of who has been making these attacks?”
The pegasus shook his head, “No, my lady. We’ve begun canvassing the area as well as interrogating the citizens, but nothing has turned up. We’ve even initiated a buddy system and yet stallions still go missing in the dead of the night.”
“This is unacceptable.”
The stallion lowered himself to his knees again, all too aware of the delicate position he found himself in as bearer of bad news, “What would you have us do, my princess?”
Celestia gazed up at the stained glass window in front of her at the six ponies attacking Discord with beams of colorful light. She felt a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth and she chuckled.
The room was dark; she hadn’t had much reason to light the lamps once the sun had dipped below the horizon and light abandoned everything to the pitch. Twilight Sparkle lay curled as tightly as she could on a pillow she had moved into the corner of the room; this was the room her mentor had drug her into, floating the unicorn along in the once comforting glow of her magic, and depositing her within with a cruel smile.
“Behave.” Was all she had said before closing the door. The bolt had slid shut with a click, but Twilight couldn’t help but give the door a tug the moment her strength returned. Nothing.
She had made a few basic attempts at using her magic, but the sudden, devastating headaches discouraged her from trying any longer. On basic inspection the room wasn’t a terrible place to find herself; there were bookshelves lining the walls, cozy couches and pillows, and even a private area for her facilities. There was a large window that overlooked a garden two stories below, but it was also locked tight. She suspected that unless her mentor was intending to starve her, food would come from the single door.
She had begun her imprisonment with as much bravado as she could muster. After all, this was probably some kind of joke. Or a test. Twilight couldn’t fathom what else her incarceration could possibly be for; she had done nothing wrong, and the princess was a fair and wise ruler. She had taken one or two books from the shelves to peruse, but quickly lost interest as her thoughts continued to plague her.
After the first night her hypothesis was proved sound as breakfast appeared by the door at the break of dawn. It wasn’t much, just a corner of bread and a dollop of jam, but Twilight ate it gratefully.
It wasn’t until the fourth day that she had the sense to start keeping track of the time; she tallied the rise and fall of the sun on a scrap of parchment that had been stuck between the pages of a book on earth pony history. After the dawn of the sixth day, when she still hadn’t seen hide nor hair of another pony she began to wonder if she hadn’t done something wrong. Maybe she had offended the princess in some manner, or touched upon some kind of study that was forbidden. She wracked her brain to try to think of some offense she had committed, but she continued to draw nothing but blanks.
Over the course of a week she went over every detail of her life in Ponyville that she could remember in an attempt to find something to apologize for. But there was nothing.
Maybe I’m so depraved I can’t even understand what I’ve done wrong , she considered. She could feel herself slowly going mad as the torrent of thoughts slowly began to eat away at her common sense. She stopped eating around the end of the third week, and she could feel herself becoming frail. But she couldn’t bring herself to care. She exiled herself to the corner as far from the door as possible, on a single pillow, where she sat curled and still for days.
Soon she was consumed with a single thought, looping endlessly through her consciousness: I’m a bad pony. I’m a bad pony. I’m a bad pony…
She had stopped keeping track of the days.
But the door opened.
The door opened and she saw the first living thing she’d seen in what seemed like an eternity walk through and look at her.
“My faithful student.”
Twilight flinched at the sound. The memory of pain connected with the term seemed fresh.
The princess walked slowly over to the unicorn who slouched and squirmed in an attempt to become smaller, to shrink away from the imposing form of the princess.
Twilight babbled, voice raw from lack of use, “Princess. I’m sorry. So sorry, Princess. Sorry.”
The princess looked down into large, amethyst eyes, wide and glistening with unshed tears; they reminded her of years long past, and the purple pony before her looked very much like the little filly apologizing for some magical misstep at her school for gifted unicorns all those years ago.
She smiled, “What are you sorry for, young one?”
Twilight’s eyes darted around the princess’ face, “I’m a bad pony.”
The princess shook her head, “No. You’re a good pony, my dear Twilight. A very good pony.”
Twilight’s ears perked up, “I-I am?”
She nodded, “Yes. And I’d like to take you back to Ponyville to see your friends.”
Twilight stood up, abruptly, “Really?” She fell forward when her shaky legs refused to support her.
The princess smiled again, helping Twilight to her feet, “Of course. But first we need to get you something to eat. You’ll need your strength for the trip.”
Twilight, aided by the princess’ gentle hoof, tottered out into the castle proper. Relief poured over her as the familiar walls of the castle passed and her beloved mentor whispered soft reassurances. She must have passed the test. Now she could see her friends again! She leaned into the stable form of her teacher, grateful for the aid. How comforting to know that it was all over; whatever had prompted her imprisonment was all over, and everything was going to be alright.
--Author's Note--
--Author's Note-- Fair warning: Things get worse and more violent from here on in.
“Apple Family, open up in the name of Celestia.”
Applejack opened the door of the farmhouse and stood rigidly in the doorway, barring entrance and making the message clear that the visitors weren’t welcome. Two pegasus stallions with pristinely white coats and shining golden armor flanked the entry, eyes cool and humorless.
The stallion on the left stepped forward, crowding Applejack who refused to budge, snout inches away from the earth pony’s.
“You have been neglecting your taxes, Apple Family. That’s tantamount to treason.”
Applejack stared up at the pegasus, jaw clenched. “We’ve told the princess that we can’t afford ta pay such high taxes. If we paid what ya’ll are askin for we’d never survive the winter.”
The stallion snorted, “I fail to see how that’s our problem.”
Applejack sputtered, “What? Now you listen here-!”
Suddenly she was shoved backwards; she tumbled head over hooves back into the house, thudding painfully against the kitchen table which toppled over, spilling a whole mess of papers and a bowl left over from breakfast onto the floor. The royal guards invited themselves in.
Applejack quickly took stock of the situation; luckily, Applebloom was at school and Big Macintosh was out working the fields. The only one in the house at that moment was her and Granny Smith who would hopefully keep out of sight until Applejack could get this settled. The two pegasi were looking about the room lazily with cocky grins on their muzzles. No doubt they were comparing the simple country home with their fancy digs back in Canterlot.
“Let’s try this again,” one of the guards said, “You haven’t been paying your taxes. Now what are you going to do about it?”
Applejack swallowed the lump that kept rising in her throat.
Family came first.
“I told you we can’t afford to pay em.” She paused. “But isn’t there some other way we kin settle this?”
“Oh, I think we can come up with something.”
Pinkie Pie hadn’t seen them coming. They swooped from the sky without so much as a shadow or a burst of wind; one landed on top of her, thudding her to the ground in a cloud of dust. Her mouth had been open since she had been singing some nonsensical tune as she skipped on her way to work so the impact caused her teeth to pierce her lip in a flash of pain and new blood. The pegasus straddled her, his hooves pressed against the back of her skull, grinding her face into the dirt.
The second pegasus landed in front of her and folded his wings delicately, “Pinkamena Diane Pie?”
Pinkie attempted to tilt her head to the side so she could see his face, but a sharp rap on the back of her head commanded her stillness.
“My friends,” she replied, “call me Pinkie.”
“We are not your friends, Pinkamena ,” the name came out as a sneer, “we are the Princess’ Enforcement Squad. Can you find it in your pink-addled brain to remember the new laws recently instated?”
Pinkie tried to think of what she could have done wrong, but nothing came to mind. She just did what she always did: bake delicious treats and throw parties that adhered to the new curfew.
“I didn’t do anything illegal.”
Another quick blow to the back of her head caused her to see stars.
“Are you denying the unauthorized assemblies that you’ve been hosting?”
Pinkie stiffened. She really hadn’t been that foolish had she?
“I-”
Another kick to the head choked off her words.
The stallion on top of her bent his head to her ear and whispered, “You’ve been a very bad filly, haven’t you Ms. Pie?”
Fear ran ice cold through her veins and despite her best efforts she couldn’t stop the nervous giggles from tumbling from her lips.
The pegasi exchanged annoyed glances.
“Be silent.” The stallion in front of her barked.
But she couldn’t be silent; the giggles evolved into chuckles even as she tried to muffle them with her hooves.
Anger flared in the stallion atop Pinkie, “Are you making a mockery of our authority?”
When the bright pink pony continued to laugh beneath him he began raining blows upon her skull. Her voice choked off in wet gags only to come back stronger as full blown guffaws.
“I’ll make sure you never laugh again!” The stallion reared up, wings buffeting the air behind him, and slammed his hooves full force on the earth pony’s shoulder.
Sick cracking noises filled the air; Pinkie inhaled sharply, tears began flowing from her bright blue eyes, and she opened her mouth to scream. Nothing came out.
For a few long moments the three ponies stood in the abandoned street while silence hung like a curtain in the air above them. Pinkie’s breathing came raspy and uneven; blood trickled out of the corner of her mouth even as it stood wide open in a sick approximation of a scream.
And then as if something had unmuted the scene, sound found its way from Pinkie’s throat again, “Giggle at the ghosties… Guffaw at the grossly… ” The song came soft and low at about half tempo. It hung eerily in the air, sending a chill up the two royal guards’ spines. “And if he thinks he’s scary… he’s got another thing coming. The very idea of such a thing just makes you want to …”
Laughter erupted from the crumpled mess of a pony abruptly, jolting the stallions up into the air. They exchanged glances and then looked back simultaneously at the pony on the ground; all that moved was her uninjured shoulder as cackles ripped through her body.
“No more parties, Pinkamena,” one of the pegasi called out as he turned to leave, “Or you’ll be seeing us again real soon.”
With a few mighty beats of their wings they disappeared back into the sky from whence they came.
Ponies stuck their heads out from their doors to see if the guards were gone, and once they saw the skies were clear they continued on with their day. Pinkie couldn’t tell how long she lay face down in the street as ponies walked around her, unwilling to risk the ire of the royal guard by showing her any kindness, but it was Rarity who finally found her, bloody and barely breathing.
“Pinkie? Don’t move darling; I’ll be right back with help, okay? Just hold on.”
She galloped away towards the hospital and Pinkie felt the twinges of smile tugging at the sagging corners of her mouth. She had never once even considered the possibility of the stylish unicorn saving her life. Too bad parties were against the law now because that was a real reason to celebrate.
“Nurse Redheart said she has a broken shoulder, a few fractured ribs, and a punctured lung.” Rarity stirred her tea absent-mindedly, “Apparently it was pure luck that her lungs didn’t fill with fluid as she lay there in the street.”
Fluttershy saw Rarity’s magic waver slightly, the only indication of the fury that was bubbling under the unicorn’s skin. Fluttershy was upset too -- wouldn’t anypony be if their friend nearly died in the middle of the street with throngs of ponies ignoring her? — but even Rarity couldn’t detect the anger simmering within the delicate pegasus.
Rarity continued, a bit higher pitched, “It was also extremely fortunate that her heart was missed. The rib overshot it by a breath.”
A breath. The only thing that had been between life and death for their good friend Pinkie Pie had been a mere intake of air. Fluttershy trembled at the thought that they could have lost Pinkie forever; she could have bled out on the street while Fluttershy fed a flock of birds or her heart could have been impaled on a fractured rib while the pegaus was preparing Angel Bunny’s lunch.
“How terrible.”
Rarity nodded and took a sip from her tea cup, “Thanks to Nurse Redheart’s magic Pinkie will be just fine. She’s a wonderful unicorn, Redheart, and she’s very skilled at medical magic. Pinkie might even be up and about in three days time.”
At the mention of magical skill, Fluttershy felt the familiar ache of loss for Twilight; she had gone missing over a month ago, right before all the changes were implemented, and still nopony had a clue where she was. There were whispers, ponies talking about Twilight aiding her beloved mentor through the policies that were tearing apart Equestria. Fluttershy knew better than to believe these; nopony knew Twilight like the five mares that fought Discord and Nightmare Moon alongside her.
Well, nopony but Spike.
Spike had left Sweet Apple Acres a week after the new changes to live once again in the library. He kept it clean, organized the shelves, and waited for Twilight to appear. He was like a ghost, drifting around the enchanted tree that the library was built inside, glassy-eyed and numb. The mares visited him when they could, but not even Rarity could lift his spirits anymore.
Fluttershy had to ask, “Have… Have you heard anything? A-about Twilight I mean?”
Rarity sighed; a look of intense longing crossed her face at the mention of the name, “Still nothing. Not a day goes by where I don’t wonder what happened to her. She really has vanished hasn’t she?”
Fluttershy took a sip of her own tea and savored the warmth of the liquid, “I hope she’s okay, wherever she is.”
“So do I. So do I.”
Pinkie was asleep when Rainbow Dash entered the hospital room, and Rainbow Dash was grateful for that. It wasn’t in her personality to allow public displays of the mushier emotions, and she definitely didn’t want anypony awake if she happened to let a tear or two fall.
It was disconcerting to see the pink pony so still; the only thing that moved was her chest, wrapped heavily under layers of gauze, and occasionally a hoof twitched restlessly responding to who knows what in her dreams. She was frowning too, and the blue pegasus could only wonder what nightmares her friend was experiencing.
It wasn’t fair. Pinkie Pie was a baker! A socialite! She was so nonthreatening in her zeal to be liked and to have fun that she was, after Fluttershy, one of the last ponies who deserved such treatment.
Rainbow dash stomped a hoof on the ground in frustration as tears began burning at the edges of her eyes. This was her best friend lying her, battered and broken, and for what? Giving Ponyville a few moments of happiness? Being a single ray of sunshine in the utter blackness that covered the land under Celestia’s new regime?
If anypony deserved such treatment it would be Rainbow Dash. She broke more than a few new laws spending sleepless nights scouting; she searched for their missing friend tirelessly when she was sure no one would miss her presence. She felt strongly that Twilight could be the key to turning things around, and, although she would never voice it, she missed the egghead fiercely. To make things worse, Applejack had begun acting very strangely. The earth pony rarely came into town anymore, and when Rainbow Dash went to the farm to visit, Applejack was quiet and haggard looking. Dark circles had formed under her eyes and she often stared dully at the floor or the wall, saying nothing.
She had lost Twilight; Applejack was fading away; and now Pinkie had been attacked?
This was the last straw.
Rainbow Dash looked over her shoulder to make sure none of the nurses were watching before she nuzzled Pinkie’s face gently, causing the pink pony to mumble softly.
The pegasus whispered into Pinkie’s ear, “I’m sorry.”
Pinkie didn’t stir.
Rainbow Dash felt the tears begin to fall; she backed away slowly, throwing open the window and leaping out into the air. The wind whipped at her face as she raced as fast as she could away from the hospital.
She was tired of losing. She was Rainbow Dash ; ponies didn’t get to push her or her friends around.
It was time to start fighting back.
