Escape is Magic

Twilight stared on in disbelief that her new human friend Evan was standing in the doorway coming to her rescue. Her eyes welled up and she stared at her savor. He walked over to the cage and started fumbling with the keys to unlock her cage. All the other ponies looked on with a mixture of shock and worry. After what seemed like an eternity there was a satisfying click and the cage opened. The human knelt down looking at the floor.

“Twilight… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen… I hope you can forgive me.”

Evan moved to get up but felt something pull his hand. He saw that two hooves held his hand and as he followed them he met Twilights misting eyes and gentle smile.

“How could I be mad at you? You came and found us.”

“but I-I-I thought-“ Evan stammered barely able to control his drooping mouth before he was interrupted.

“This is touchin’ realy but do ya mind gitn’ us loose so we can vamoose?” he turned to see Applejack in a cage as well.

Evan nodded “Yah, we can talk about this later.”

“Excuse me, but can’t you all see that that is a HUMAN?” came a random pony with a yellow coat and orange hair. Her cutie mark was a carrot.

“We know him. He’s cool Carrot Top” Rainbow said in the far end of the cave.

“Rainbow? You too?” Evan was extremely surprised to see the Pegasus. She had been rather nasty to him ever since he got here and assumed she wouldn’t have joined in the search party. She gave him a glare and was going to retort with some snide comment before she was cut off.

“We’re all here darling.” He spotted the white unicorn and then scanned the room to find Fluttershy and Pinkie pie in the multitude of ponies.

“… Well that makes me feel worse.” Evan said with a resolved sigh.

“Applejacks right though Evan, we need to get out of here first. Then we’ll talk.” Twilight said in her usual studious way.

Evan nodded and started to open the rest of the cages. He fumbled with them more trying to find the right one as the keys continued to fail. The most recent attempt caused him to growl in annoyance when he felt a nudge on his leg. He looked down with a large degree of irritation to find Twilight looking up at him with an amused smile. “What?” the frustrated human spat.

“If you could take off this horn shackle, I can help,” She stated, her smile never leaving her face.

Evan sheepishly looked down as the back of his head had a sudden itch and felt his cheeks get hot. Twilight giggled at his expense before he looked at her horn for some kind of keyhole. As he found none he examined it a second time this time exploring with his fingers. As he explored his finger grazed her horn sending a tingle up his arm before she jerked her head back.

“What are you doing!” she snapped as she backed away from Evan scrunching her face in confusion and disgust.

“I couldn’t find a key hole!” he retorted a bit of irked for her having foiled his search attempt and confused at her reaction to touching her horn.

“Use the key stone!” she said, her face afire.

Fortunately Evan didn’t notice and fumbled with the keys. “What the hell is a key stone?”

“The clear one!” she said still flustered.

Evan held up a crystal attached to a chain on the ring of keys. “This thing? I thought it was an ordainment.” He said mater of factly.

“That’s it. Now tap it against the shackle gently.” Twilight’s face was no longer lavender but maroon.

The human griped the keystone and lightly taped the weird shackle that looked more like a ring around the unicorn’s horn. The shackle safely fell and Twilight’s horn immediately glowed grabbing the key ring in it’s hue. All the ponies cages and shackles glowed as well falling to the ground or opening of there own accord.

“Lets go before something else happens.” She said turning and heading to the archway.

All the other ponies gave him a bit of a wide birth as they headed for the exit except for four others he knew. But they all gave him a mixture of stares before Applejack walked up to him. “What was that all about?” he said scratching his head looking in Twilight’s direction before she exited the archway.

“Shugercube, didn’t ya read anethin on pony biology?”

Evan groaned before turning to the pony “there would be nothing I want more, but I don’t know how many times I have to tell you all that I cant read your chicken scratch.” Evan had tried to learn with Twilight’s help but he just couldn’t get the hang of the language for some reason. It really bothered him as to what it was that made him so incapable. His only solution to the conundrum was to blame it on his bad language grades. The scientist turned to look at the archway and sighed “and she won’t tell me anything because it makes her uncomfortable.”

Applejack blushed looking anywhere but at him and since Evan was not focusing on a protrusion on her head he could tell what her actions where saying.

“Oh god please no,” he said wide eyed. “Did I just-“

“Eeupe”

“and a unicorn’s horn is-”

“Eeupe”

Evan buried his face in his hands in embarrassment. “What god out there hates me so?”

(*Sneeze)

They headed for the archway and met the whole pony procession, which filled the hallway for a ways. How he was going to get all these ponies out of this hole in the ground while still keeping his secret was beyond him. Then the idea came.

“Hay twilight, do you think that you can cast an invisibility spell on all of them?”

None had really paid any attention to him and where staring at something that was blocked from his view. Which by height standers is pretty impressive. His curiosity peeked and as he weaved through ponies that gave him a wide birth when they noticed and finally saw what everypony was staring at. It was the two unconscious Diamond Dogs that had previously guarded the once imprisoned ponies.

The only thing that he could think to say was an, “Oh yah, that.”

There was only one pony that turned her head like a whip at that comment. The wide purple Eyes of the previously unintentionally violated unicorn said “How did you do this?” the awe was plane on her face.

Evan shifted a bit and looking anywhere but her eyes. When nothing came that was a suitable excuse he gave up on trying. Squaring his shoulders and giving a hard stare he said, “look, I’ll explain when we get home OK? But first we need to focus on getting out of here so we can have a conversation about it. Deal?”

Twilight’s eyes furrowed at his answer that was clearly dodging her question. Regardless she gave a begrudging, “fine.”

Good now all I need to do is come up with a good excuse before we get home… this is going to be a challenge, He thought before moving on. “So do you think you could make all these ponies invisible?”

The purple unicorn’s face changed from scornful to thoughtful before she turned to the pony procession. She turned back with a worried look. “I don’t think so. I might be able to do it but it would cause a huge strain on me, making me useless in a fight.”

The human sighed as he closed his eyes I’m not sure how well this plan was thought through, he thought as he tried coming up with a solution. Then he looked amongst the throng and noticed all the unicorns, causing his brain to try and salvage his failed plan. “Do you think you can teach the spell to all the unicorns so that it’s less of a burden?”

“It’s a complicated spell. I don’t think that many of them could learn it in only a few minutes.” She said as her concern spread amongst the crowd causing unease in the group.

Evan sighed and hoped that things wouldn’t come to anything further as he formulated a different plan. He looked up from his musing making his decision and put on a stern face for the whole crowd.

“OK I guess we’ll just have to wing it. But you do what I say when I say. If I tell you to run, you run. If I tell you to hide, you hide.” He looked at the purple unicorn with a stare that said nothing but smoldering sternness. “If I tell you to run and leave me behind you must do it.” Twilight audibly gulped as Evan returned to the rest of the group. “Is that understood!”

The ponies in the hallway of stone answered as one. “Yes master!” It was an enthusiastic response but still caused the human to facepalm.

He groaned before he said, “Lets just go,” and pivoted to walk down the tunnel he once came never removing his hand from his face as the march started.

The hoof steppes of the ponies where rather soft as Evan guided them through the cave. They didn’t make the clopping sound that the hooves usually make when striking a stone floor and it was rather muffled movement. So much so that he could barley notice that they where behind him when looking around a corner and would get slightly startled as he turned around to a lot more ponies then the noise suggested. Due to this they had made great progress getting back to the entrance. Evan pondered about this many times until he came to a the conclusion that he would need to conduct some tests on Twilight when they get back. It would be fair play for that test on how flexible his fingers had been. His fingers still felt a little sore.

“Evan!” the scientist was cut off from his vengeful thoughts by the hushed yelling from the purple unicorn.

“What,” came the muted reply.

“I said how much longer until were out of here?”

“It’s just a little farther, don’t get your panties in a twist.”

“What are panties?”

The human shushed the pony’s ignored question as he felt he heard something down the hall. The unmounted cavalcade stopped turning there heads and ears behind them. With complete silence from the ponies the sound of rushed shuffling barks and grunts where much more discernable as it got louder. The ponies all wiped their heads back to the scientist with Irises barley seen due to their size. Evan looked to the ponies with fear as what was happening settled in. His fear pushed him to do what he planed if they got this close to the exit and got caught.

“Alright, we are close enough to the entrance that you should make it out. I’ll distract them so you can get a head start and get to Ponyvill.”

“What about you?” Evan looked down at the yellow pegasus, her sea foam eyes glistened from concern.

Evan knelt down to her and smiled “Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself. I just need to make sure you all are safe. Then I’ll come and find you.”

“O-Ok. If you think that’s best”

“Now all of you get out of here now!” Evan pointed in the direction of the exit and the ponies where happy to oblige as they stampeded past.

All but one, “Twilight, what are you doing, get out of here!” Evan’s frustration peaked. He knew that his fear for his friend would not help in the least for what he had planed.

“There is no way I am leaving you behind!”

“Twilight, I have a plan and your totally ruining it right now.”

“what?”

“Look, if I’m not back within a few hours you can charge in guns blazing, but for now I need you to look after the others and keep them safe. Can you do that?”

Twilight looked torn as she looked down the direction the ponies went then to the much louder noises coming from the opposite direction. She came full circle looking Evan in the eye with concern for a few seconds before saying, “Two hours.”

Evan nodded. As he walked toward the clatter he could hear the clopping of catering hooves running in the opposite direction. Good. Step one went off without too much trouble. Now for step two. The yellow eyed man stood and waited for the Diamond Dogs to arrive and start part two. His wait was not too arduous as the dogs arrived almost just as quickly as the ponies left. They skidded to a stop in front of the white haired scientist most giving confused looks others growling with spears in hand.

Evan stood with his hands folded neatly behind his back giving a mock annoyed look at the deformed dogs. They stood at a stand still for a few seconds before the human spoke up.

“I am Evan Kelly the human. The ponies that where here belonged to me before they where stolen and taken here. Take me to your leader!”

Twilight cantered as fast as she could away from her friend. Her hooves made an empty sound as it echoed along the walls of the cave. Tears started to fall at what she had just let happen. She was completely torn as to what she should have done. How could she have left her friend like that? He may have his reasons but you should never leave your friends when they are in trouble. Her concern escalated and anxiety set in as she failed to understand the “plan” that her bipedal friend might have had.

Evan did have a point though; she had other friends that might need her and she hated the idea of them being in that Celestia cursed place. But the human was her friend too. Why couldn’t they all find a way to escape together? Her face wrinkled in a sneer for the human. He would pay for this self-endangering plan of his. Not to mention some big time explaining to do when they got home about how he was able to knock out not one, but two diamond dogs out which are able to crush stone the palm of their paw. The only explanation is that he used magic but that’s not likely because he says that he cant and keeps on insisting that the idea of magic is Neolithic nonsense, whatever that means.

A blinding light caused her to shut her eyes instinctively, cutting off her mental struggle. She squinted trying to allow her eyes to adjust to the new light filled aria. After some heavy eye rubbing she eventually gave up and used a spell to help focus her eyes to notice she was now outside the cave. With a quick glance skyward Celestia’s sun was telling her that it was late afternoon. It felt like an entire day in that cave but for all she could tell it could have been longer or shorter. The other ponies were scattered all over the place. Some of them had the same problem she had taking longer to adjust to the light while most of the others that were starting to recover left for Ponyvill. Her friends seemed to be helping the less fortunate ponies before noticing her and coming to her aid.

Rainbow Dash was the fastest to get to her “Oh my gosh Twilight, I thought we lost you back there! I must have looked for you like five times!”

Pinkie pie was next popping up behind her tail somehow “See Rainbow, I knew she was right behind us. The pinkie sense never lies.”

“Is everyone ok?” Twilight replied in rushed breath because she knew that there was one of her friends that were likely not to be ok.

“We’re alright Twi’. Where’s Evan? I thought he would be with you.” The farm pony looked past expecting the biped to come into view.

Twilight growled at the mention of the human’s name. “He made me leave him. I’m going back in to make sure he’s safe. Everypony stay here and make sure that everypony else makes it home safe.”

“What? You want to go back in there? After we just got out?” the cyan pegasus replied with a baffled cry.

“That’s just it rainbow. Evan is STILL in there and he might still need my help.”

“Well what are we waitn’ for? Lets get back in there.” Applejack replied eagerly.

“No. Evan did make a good point that somepony needs to stay here and make sure that ponies are taken home safely.”

“We can take care of that darling. You make sure that our dear human is not being harmed by those roughens.”

All her friends smiled at her being completely supportive of her decision. Her eyes started to tear up at how wonderful her friends where. “Thanks girls,” and with that said she turned and headed back down the hole to try and save her human friend.

With improved vigor she pushed against the dirt floor making speed for her friend. Her clopping hooves resounded and echoed with feeling and purpose as she made her way to where Evan was most likely being pummeled to a pulp by diamond dogs. The image that flashed through her mind made her sick to her stomach from both its gruesomeness and the feeling of guilt that accompanied it. She hoped she would arrive before those images could come to fruition.

After a moment she noticed that her hooves were not the only sound as she rushed through the tunnel. There was a distinct flapping sound coming from above her and as she lifted her head to investigate she saw Rainbow Dash above her.

“Rainbow? What are you doing here?”

The cyan pegasus scoffed “you think that I would let you go back in here alone? Besides, that monkey got us out of a bad scrape. How could I not go back for him after that?”

The purple unicorn smiled at her friend. Ever the element of loyalty Rainbow, she thought before she said, “Thanks for the help Rainbow.”

“Don’t mention it. Now lets rescue that hairless freak before I regret it.” Twilight shook her head with a smile still plastered on her face.

They made good time as they approached the spot where Twilight had left Evan. But something was off. Not a sole was there. As they reached their destination Rainbow and Twilight looked back and forth with confusion covering every inch of their faces.

“Where did they go?” the spectrum maned mare scratched the back of her head with a hoof.

Twilight inspected the ground a little closer and noticed the human’s footprints in the dirt. “It looks like he went that way but its odd.”

“What?”

“There’s no sign of a struggle. Its like he wanted to be taken and went willingly. But the other odd thing is that we should have seen hordes of diamond dogs by now trying to get the other ponies. This doesn’t make any sense.”

“Well if he went that way lets go before he does something stupid.”

Twilight nodded and followed her friend’s advice as they cantered in the direction Evan’s footsteps lead. There where so many twists and turns through the disorganized tunnels that Twilight didn’t know if they would be able to retrace their steps back. How the diamond dogs were able to traverse this maze of tunnels without getting hopelessly lost was beyond her.

When they passed a crossroads of yet another tunnel she froze in her tracks. There standing in the tunnel to her right where six Diamond Dogs with spears in hand giving her and Rainbow the same shocked looks they wore. After a few seconds of staring they bolted down the corridor causing Twilight and Rainbow to pick the left tunnel at random to flea from their pursuers.

As they galloped trying to reach Evan both their ears splayed back from an extremely high pitched whistle from behind them. The human tracks where starting to look fresh and Twilight got excited from how this was turning out. All they needed to do was get close enough to Evan so she could cast a teleportation spell to teleport them to the surface and this nightmare would be a distant memory.

When they rounded the next corner her hopes where dashed to pieces as an army of diamond dogs where charging down in their direction she turned back to be greeted with the same troop that had followed them with more barreling down behind them. There was no other escape and Twilight looked at her cyan friend to see the same worried expression. They prepared themselves for a fight as they hardened their nerves and, as if planed, they charged the diamond dogs that blocked their way to Evan.

Right as they where about to collide with the likewise charging diamond dogs twilights horn glowed bright and then a large flash filled the tunnel blinding the diamond dogs from an almost instantaneous second flash from which emerged Twilight and Rainbow from beyond the charging diamond dogs.

As they rounded the corner, the cyan one whooped, “nice one Twilight!”

“Were not out of the woods just yet. Come on.” As they hurried down the corridor the purple one came to a realization “Oh no! I lost the trail.”

“What! Cant you just find a trail with a spell or something?”

“No. but I do have a spell that can tell me which way is north. We can try and head in the direction that we where going and hopefully we can make it.” The unicorn’s horn glowed for a couple seconds then died as the spell was cast.

They continued to gallop in the direction that Evan was or so they hoped. The commotion coming behind rushed them on faster as the diamond dogs didn’t seem to be blinded for long. They came to a fork in the tunnel and the orienteering unicorn turned left. When they reached the end of the hallway and turned the corner they found a dead end.

“Oh no!” Cried the purple one.

As Twilight turned to head back a diamond dog pounced out of the wall ramming into her. The blurry world spun and sounds became like rushing water as Twilight lost all understanding to what was happening. When her vision cleared she could see Rainbow struggling with a few diamond dogs trying to pin her wings to keep her from flying while others rubbed their noses from what Twilight assumed was a recent impact. She tried to stand but found that something was pinning her. When she looked to see what it was that was impairing her movements she saw another diamond dog was holding her to the ground keeping her from moving. It was then that Twilight’s mind came back to her remembering what it was that had happened. She glowered at the diamond dog making it gave a worried expression.

Her horn started to glow as she closed her eyes for the next spell. She hated using attack spells because they brought feelings that were not natural for her. But in this case she needed to get to Evan and she felt there was no other choice. As the spell was about to be fired the magic she had gathered escaped like the air out of a balloon that had not been tied off yet. She opened her eyes and saw a smirking diamond dog holding a Keystone. Further behind Rainbow was now pinned struggling against the wing bindings that where being placed on her.

Twilight tried summoning magic again for a spell but it slipped away from her like trying to pick up a greased ball. The golden retriever looking diamond dog holding the Keystone smirked at her.

“Bring ponies to Alpha king"

Author's Note

HOLY CRAP I AM SUCH A BAD PERSON! I HATE when this kinda crap happens. well sorry for not putting an update up for two F-ING MONTHS. Wow, the last two months have been busy but I quit my second job so hopefully I can have more time to work on this and my other hobbies rather then working over 50 hours a week. ugg... hope you enjoyed the chapter! ^_^