Twilight awoke to the sound of rhythmic chanting. Her head throbbed in agony and her eyes felt gritty. She could smell the moisture in the air and feel it permeating her fur. As she blinked to clear her eyes, she noticed that her vision was still darkened by something. As she tried to reach a hoof to rub her face, she felt the tug of her bonds tighten. She began to blink her eyes a little faster in hopes to clear whatever was obscuring her sight. Finally, her eyes started to focus and she realized why she was blind. A thick strip of dark cloth was wrapped around her head. The panic slowly started to build in her chest as she began to struggle against the forces that held her firm. Steeling herself for a moment, she pulsed magic through her horn in an attempt to free herself. As she charged the spell form in her horn, she could feel the pressure build at the base of her forehead. The more magic she fed it, the worse the pressure became. The pressure soon became a searing pain that threatened to split her skull in half.
“I wouldn't do that if I were you little one,” a gravely voice called out. “You'll only harm yourself and we need you intact.” Twilight heard hoofsteps approaching her. The heavy hooffalls seemed to echo from everywhere. “Our Lady of Shadows needs every bit of your neigh impossible magical ability to regain her rightful place and to destroy those usurpers that sit on her throne.”
“Lady of Shadows? What are you talking about? Luna was purged of the Nightmare by myself and the other Elements that night in the old castle! She'd never challenge Celestia's rule again!”
“Who said anything about that ungrateful whelp Luna,” the voice snarled. She could feel it's owners presence invading her personal bubble. The smell of sweat and grime from the other pony's coat invaded her nostrils as he edged closer. “We, the Children of the Night, have found a way to bring back our beloved Mistress without the need of her damned host. You see, we merely need a strong magical nexus to lend us it's power. Then, our rituals will combine your own life's essence with the magical energy we will take from you and will resurrect our Lady once again! Given how powerful you are, NOPONY will be able to challenge the reign of Nightmare Moon! We shall have our Elysium! We shall have night eternal!” The voice railed on as his excitement crescendoed with his final statement.
“You won't get away with this. My friends are probably already looking for me, not to mention Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.”
“I'm quite afraid, they'll never find you dear. You see, when we took you, we were able to destroy your own magical resonance trail. Sure, you might be missing, but they'll have no way to find you. You belong to us now. And soon, you shall belong to our Lady. Heart, mind, and soul...”
“You underestimate the ones who care most about me. Besides, there's one that I haven't mentioned that doesn't need my resonance trail to find me. Our bond transcends mere magical means. Believe me, when my Cadance gets here, you will beg for mercy. And I'm not sure she'll grant it.”
“You're pretty crystal wife is of no concern to us. Her power lies with affairs of the heart. She is no warrior. She is no threat.” Twilight could now feel the other pony's muzzle now inches from her own. “Methinks that you settled too quickly in a mate, perhaps you just never found the right stallion to claim you.”
“That's quite enough Shadow Storm,” another, more husky voice called out. “She is not yours to claim. She belongs to our lady and no one else. Head back into the main chamber and make sure that all is ready.”
“As you wish, Faerin,” the muzzle slowly backed away from Twilight's face and began to move away. “See you soon, sweetheart,” the echoes of his evil laugh bouncing off the walls as he left Twilight to the mercy of his superior. The fear began to take hold of the lavender unicorn. Bound, blindfolded, and magically suppressed, she was in no condition to free herself. And, if her captors were to be believed no one was going to be able to get to her soon. Despair began to take a firm hold in her breast as memories of all the wonderful times she'd had with the girls in Ponyville began to play out in her mind. Pinkie's parties, Rarity's dresses, Applejack's wonderful cider, Fluttershy's quiet kindness, Dash's love for Daring Do. Tears threatened to spill down her cheeks as she thought of them. The dam holding back her emotions cracked more as she pondered over all the times she'd spent in the company of her mentor and her dear sister. Nightmare Night, the Summer Sun Celebration, tea in the castle gardens, all of them precious to her. What finally caused the tears to flow forth was the thought of her dear wife. She and Cadance had married not a year earlier, but had been together for far longer than that. She was beautiful, kind, strong, caring, everything a pony could want in a partner. She loved her with all of her being. Now, with the threat of them being taken from each other forever, Twilight could do nothing but sob. She wouldn't get to kiss her beloved again. She wouldn't get to hold her close and smell her scent or listen to her heartbeat again. Silently, she prayed to any deity that might be listening, “Please, please, let Cady know I love her. Please let her know that I'm sorry I couldn't say goodbye. Please let her know that I'll be waiting for her on the other side.”
Meanwhile, in Canterlot
“Mourne, report!” Luna bellowed as the Night Guard rushed into the war room of the castle. Celestia, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie, 'Shy, and Dash were standing around a circular table with a map of Equestria spread out across it's surface. Magical enchantments placed upon it by Luna and Celestia showed any and all magical surges that had taken place in the past 24 hours. Naturally, the largest concentration hovered over the Everfree forest, but isolated pockets of dark magic had cropped up amongst the fields just outside of Ponyville. The looks of grave concern were etched on everypony's face. None more so than Cadance who stood away from the noise and commotion of the common area. Standing on a balcony with her eyes closed, she focused all of her energy into channeling a tracing spell in order to find Twilight.
“Unfortunately my Lady, the trail ran cold,” the bat pony said as he saluted the lunar alicorn. “We did find several scorch marks which would indicate a spell battle of some type, but they seemed to end just a few feet from where they started. As best we can tell, it would appear that the fiends teleported away after capturing Lady Sparkle.”
“Thou hast done well, my Guard. We coulds't not ask for more than what thou hast done. Go and rest dear Mourne. We shall send for you at the next shift,” the Lunar Diarch said as she crossed the room to the where her loyal Guard pony stood. With a sharp salute, the guard took his leave of the mares. The look on her face said volumes. Her own fears were beginning to take hold of her. That same fear seemed to permeate the room as the other ponies heard the latest status update. Sighing, Luna joined the others at the map table and fell to her haunches. “We don't know where to go from here. We are but chasing shadows in the night.” Luna looked at the others hoping to see some glimmer of hope in their faces. Her gaze then settled on Cadance, still lost in her spell trance. “Has she had any luck,” she asked.
“She hasn't moved for the past four hours,” Celestia said with a sigh. “I am beginning to worry about her. Her magic is not infinite and her body can't take the strain of constant spell casting. Every time I mention to her to take a break, all I get is a terse...”
“I'm fine, a break won't find my wife,” growled Cadance. “I am still in the room you know. Now please, let me work!”
Cadance furrowed her brow as she continued to scan the mystical energies that flowed through the world. There had to be a clue she'd missed. Something, anything that would lead her to the one she loved. She poured more of her love magic into the spell, hoping against hope that somehow, someway, her bond with Twilight would lead her to her.
“Please, please let Cady know I love her.”
Cadance gasped hard as Twilight's voice came into her mind. Quickly, she was surrounded but everypony in the room. She stumbled to her haunches as the backlash of the constant casting came crashing back upon her.
“What happened,” screamed Dash as the pegasus quickly rushed to Cady's side. She helped prop up the Crystal Princess and got her steady on her hooves.
“I heard Twilght! She's still alive,” Cadance exclaimed. “I felt her presence. She's quite a distance from here, but she's alive!”
“Could you find her voice again,” asked Rarity. A quick nod from Cadance caused the hope in the room to swell. For the first time since the abduction was discovered, there was a genuine feeling of excitement in the room. Closing her eyes to concentrate on the spell once more, Cadance stretched out searching for her beloved in the ether of the magical realm.
“Twily, can you hear me? If you can hear me, please, PLEASE answer me! We're trying to find you. Please, please still be with me!” A faint pulse of magic came to Cadance across the ether and touched her mind.
“I'm here my love, but I don't know for how long. I'm being held by some cult that calls themselves the Children of the Night. They intend to use me as a sacrifice to resurrect Nightmare Moon!”
“Hold fast my love, we are coming. Just stay with me.” Now that Cadance had established contact, the question became how to find her. Twilight was being obfuscated by some fairly strong spells, yet she was able to speak with her through the bond of their love. Perhaps, there might be a way to scry her wife through the link.
“It would be worth a try,” came the voice of Celestia into the ether. She'd forgotten that her Aunt had the ability to slip into this realm at will. Not only that, but she was fully able to read any and all thoughts in this place. It made keeping threats to her kingdom a hell of a lot easier to keep in check. As the two alicorns combined their magics, visions of dark cave not more than a few miles from Sweet Apple Acres came to them. Twilight's aura was radiating from inside the maw of that cave. They'd found her! Somehow, someway, they'd found her!
“Hang on Twily, we're coming,” Cadance assured her wife as she left the ether. Once back in the physical realm, she looked at the seven concerned faces gathered around her. She rose to her hooves and looked at the mares assembled before her. Stretching her wings, she spoke to them. “Come my friends, let us go to my beloved. And let us bring Tartarus with us...”
