Links to the Past

The black snake didn't loosen her grip even when they were already out of town. She hid behind two trees, blending with the shadows, apparently waiting for somepony. Or something.

The scared Applebloom looked at her two friends. They were also afraid, that was clear by their faces. Was this reptile going to eat them? If so, than what was it waiting for? Her partner?  However, she wasn't sure the snake would ponynap them for something as simple as that. It wasn't an ordinary snake. If it was, it was going to hunt in the forest, not in Ponyville, since the Everfree was rich of food for such a big animal. No, she probably needed them for something else.

The other version was that she, just like that black timberwolf, obeyed something else and was now waiting them. But what use would that master find of them? They were just three fillies! Applebloom kept thinking and thinking, since anyways that was the only thing she was able to do in the snake's grip, and finally came up with an answer. The snake's master wanted to manipulate Twilight! They apparently knew Twilight would do anything for her friends,and they also knew, that she and Sweetie Belle were the sisters of two of Twilight's best friends. They were going to force Twilight to do something they needed her to do...

' But than why also take Scootaloo? ' the earth pony wondered. Twilight, of course, wouldn't choose to abandon Scoot either, but she and Sweetie Belle should have been enough. Ponynapping all three of them made no sense...

" I guess you're all wondering why I brought you here. " a male voice was heard from behind. The three- headed serpent turned around. A black unicorn with dark violet mane and tail was standing in front of them. The snake bowed, relinquished the three fillies from her grip, and spoke:

" Masster. As you can sssee, I followed your ordersss. Shall I be awarded the gift of freedom? "

" Your kind will never be awarded this gift. " the black unicorn replied sternly. The snake hissed and was about to reply something, but before she could do that, the left front hoof of the unicorn was surrounded by a black magical oreol, unlike anything Applebloom had ever seen. When Rarity, Sweetie Belle, Twilight and even Princess Celestia used magic, the magical oreol was always of the same shape - only the colour was different. Applebloom had never seen somepony with pitchblack colour for their magic, but the other aspects of this weird magic were more confusing. First, the magic was coming from the unicorn's hoof, not his horn. Second the oreol's edge wasn't smooth and wavy, as it usually was, but with sharp, irregular forms, none of which was the same like the other, while all of them constantly shifted. Some kind of magical hole opened in the ground under the snake, with the same sharp edges as the magic the unicorn was using. He pointed at the snake with the hoof, surrounded by the strange oreol, and pulled it down. For a brief period of time the snake was also surrounded by such a dark, sharp oreol, until she was slammed right into the hole, as black as the magic the stallion was using. The hole than closed and the strange oreol around the pony's hoof dissappeared. He came closer to them and spoke:

" I don't like the Three- Headed Serpents of the Plains either.  They're too shifty.  "

The Cutie Mark Crusaders made a step back, at the same time.

The stallion laughed:

" If I wanted to treat you kids the same way I treated her, I would have already done it. She was a monster, you're just fillies. Why do you think I'd do the same to you? "

" She called you her master! " Scootaloo replied.

The stallion with the dark violet mane frowned:

" Yes, she did. I can explain everything to you, but you won't understand it from the first time, and we don't have enough time to tell it twice. Hase is soon going to find the note I left for him. "

" Hase? You ponynapped us to get Hase's attention? " Applebloom's theories were proven completely wrong.

" I thought you ponynapped us to get Twilight's attention! "

" Ah, yes, Princess Twilight. " the unicorn smiled.

" It really does seem the most credible scenario. You take me for some enemy of the country, who wants to use you to force Princess Twilight to do something evil. That's the most obvious reason I ponynapped you for. However, I don't need her, nor her magic. As you have seen, I have enough magic on my own. "

" What do you want from Hase, than? His machines? " the confused Sweetie Belle made a step forward.

" The second most probable scenario, right? " the stallion sat down and told the fillies to do so as well. The Cutie mark Crusaders, more befuddled than ever, did as they were said.

" I am the only pony in Equestria, of course, some villain, to see the genius behind Hase's inventions. Now I'm going to use you to force him to build me horrible machines I'd use to take over Equestria. But no, it isn't that either. "

" Than what is it? " Scootaloo asked.

" I need to discuss some very importrant matters with him. Matters, that we can only discuss if nopony's watching or listening. Near Ponyville, the only such place is the Castle of the Royal Sisters. If I simply asked him to come to the Everfree, he'd grow suspicious and contact Princess Twilight. Princess Twilight will contact Princess Celestia, who will send somepony to check who's the pony, requesting a meeting in the Everfree. Eventually, she will realise who I am, and things will go haywire. However, in the note I left him, I have written, that if news about this ever leave Ponyville, he won't see you again. I'm sure he'll never let you down. I also instructed him to come to the castle with one of his friends. His friend will safely take you three back to the town, while we discuss what we need to discuss. After that, even if information leaks, and I'm sure it will, I'll be already gone. That's all. "

" You sent a snake to ponynapp us only so that you could talk with Hase? " Scoot raised an eyebrow.

" An' wha did yah send the wolf? " Applebloom wondered.

" Two questions, one answer. At first, the plan was to use Hase's friends to bring you to me. That's right, " he said as he saw the pupils of the three fillies shrink.

" , they were my pawns. Who do you think put them in those chambers? Who do you think got them out? I'm much older than I look, young fillies, and this meeting was planned a long time ago. Those three ponies were ment to serve  a role I gave them in the past, since I wasn't sure I would be able to hire ponies in the future.

2 weeks ago, the plan was finally complete. I already knew the details. I knew the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony were departing for Canterlot, and I knew I'd be able to get Hase's attention by ponynapping you. The role of the three pawns was finally clear. So I brought them back into the world and gave them their mission. I knew I couldn't depend on their loyalty, and they held no grudges against Hase. The strings I held them with were of a different sort: the wish for survival. Their cryochambers were broken, they weren't going to last a week before they aged to death. I had three potions, that would have given them eternal life and cured them. Hase cut those strings without even realising it. I thought the things they had, or hadn't done in the past would keep him from saving them. I don't know why I considered him cruel, since in his place I would have done the same. Shortly, he cured them. And also ruined the whole plan. At first I hoped fear would force my pawns out of the renewed friendship, and I used the timberwolf to serve that purpose. It failed. Than I had no choice but to use something else to bring you to me. I succeeded. I suggest we head to the castle now. We don't want your friend to get worried, right? " he got up, followed by the three fillies.

" Who are you? " Sweetie Belle asked, while they were walking on the road to the castle.

" I have used many names, but the name I was born with is Vortex. " the sallion replied.

Vortex treated them well. Once they reached the castle, he gave them his room with his big, soft bed, while he got on the balconee to observe the road. At that time the Cutie Mark Crusaders had lost their fear of him, since he never treated them badly in any way, replied to all of their questions and even let them take a look at the halls of the castle.

" Why are you doing all of this? What is so importrant, that you're ready to ponynap somepony to be able to speak about it? " Sweetie Belle asked, as she got on the balconee as well.

" I can't tell you that. I can only tell you, that it is so importrant, that anypony in my position would have done the same. " the stallion answered.

" Is this them? " the filly noticed two ponies on the road.

" It should be. Get your friends, Sweetie Belle. You're going home. " he told her.

Hase,

I'm sorry I misleaded you. I don't need a grass mower, nor a watering system. All I need is a conversation with you. In private. I'm sorry for taking these fillies, but this is the only way I'm sure this conversation will really be private. I have taken the fillies in the Castle of the Royal Sisters. No harm will be done to them. Don't try to contact any of the Princesses about this matter. Don't speak about it. Instruct your friends to do the same. Take one of them with you to the castle. They will return with the fillies, while you and I have our conversation. Afterwards you will be free to leave.

Greetings,

Your Client

The words from the letter were still inside of his mind, and he clearly remembered each part of it.

" Do you think he's honest? " Gale asked him.

" I don't know. I hope so. " Hase replied and looked down, staring at the dirt road he was walking on. The castle was probably close now. They had already passed the river.

" I still think we shouldn't do what he says. It may be a trap. "

" I prefer to fall into the trap myself, than to be the reason Sweetie, Applebloom and Scootaloo fall in it. " the worried inventor replied. Gale had tried to convince him to take some countermeasures, use some machine or something. Hase had such machines, but there was too much at stake. He couldn't use them. Not in that case. He had failed the three fillies once, he wouldn't do it again.

The castle showed around the corner of the road. Hase raised his head and saw the three fillies, along with a black pony next to them, on the other side of the bridge.

' So it is him. ' who could know, that what Hase thought for just another science- illiterate pony would turn out to be the mind behind this all?

The bridge seemed in bad shape, but it was in a good enough shape for two ponies to pass it. Hase and Gale stood right in front of the crusaders and their ponynapper. Only 8 feet separated them.

" I'm sorry I put you in such panic. I had no choice after your friends failed to do as they were commanded. " the black unicorn with the dark violet mane glared at Gale.

As Hase realised what the stallion had just said, he filled up with anger. Apparently that was visible to the rest, since the black unicorn raised an eyebrow and spoke again:

" Haven't you told him yet? Oh. "

Hase turned left, so that he'd be facing Gale. She looked at him, shocked by guilt and shame.

" I saved you all, I trusted you... and all that time you were working behind my back? I wonder why I'm even surprised. As if I don't know you! I doubted you at first, suspected you. I shouldn't have stopped at all! " he yelled at her.

" It turns out you're worse than that snake, since it was at least honest enough to show its fangs! "

" We didn't do anything he said, we... " Gale tried to excuse herself, but was interrupted by the angry inventor:

" That doesn't excuse you! Even after the timberwolf appeared, even after you were sure he was planning something, you didn't tell me! Why? "

" We thought you'd react... this way. " the pegasus mare was crying out her eyes.

" I would have been angry, yes... but those fillies, the fillies I was trusted with, the fillies, that are dearer to my heart than any of my machines, are in danger only because of you! Only because you kept it back! "

" We didn't know! " the green- maned mare objected.

" You're lying! " Hase yelled.

" No, she's not. " the black unicorn interfered.

" Their task was to bring you to me, directly. Later, as I found about those fillies, I was going to contact them and order them to bring the fillies instead, but I didn't find time. They didn't know about it. There was no use for them to tell you their assignment, as they were going to disobey anyway. They're innocent. "

As he heard that, Hase cooled down as fast as he had lighted the fuse. He approached the still weeping Gale, hugged her and said:

" I'm sorry Gale. Please, don't cry. I just... I don't know why I got so angry. You, Thunderflight and Rush are as dear to my heart as all of my other friends. I don't want to lose you. Listen now, I forgive you. I forgive you all. Let's just forget this all happenned. " Gale raised her head as she heard that. She smiled weakly.

" Now just take the girls and go home. " he told her, but while they were still hugging, he also whispered:

" And contact the Princesses. "

" Think you can cope with that? " he asked her, as they separated. The pegasus nodded.

" Girls, you're free to go. " the black unicorn turned to the fillies. They walked over to Gale and followed her across the bridge. Hase was left alone with the captor of the crusaders. There was a brief moment of silence, which was interrupted by the black pony:

" We're finally here. Alone. We have about half a day before the Princesses arrive after your friend calls for them. "

" How do you know she'd do that? " the inventor was shocked.

" What else would you whisper in her ear? What else would you want me not to hear? That is of no matter, however. By the time they arrive, our conversation will be over. Would you mind if we spend the time in the dining hall? " the unicorn asked. Hase nodded.

The dining hall was smaller than the scientist thought it would be. Since this was once a castle of Celestia and Luna, he expected some hall, as big as the throne room in Canterlot, with a long table from one end to another. However, the dining hall turned out to be a room, only a tad longer than normal, with a stone table, that could fit no more than 8 ponies. The chairs were also made of stone, and in the two ends of the table, two thrones were carved out of stone. The room wasn't decorated in any way. Three windows gave a view of the mow, the road, even the river. Everything else was the Everfree forest.

" So, shall we begin? " the unicorn took the throne near the door, which was decorated with crescents and stars. Apparently, it was ment for Luna.

" Yes. " Hase took a seat on his left side, leaving one of the chairs to separate them.