Prologue
Twilight Sparkle sat still with her tail wrapped around herself. The chill air that caressed her coat did not help the matters of her odd predicament. Ruts in the floor began to show, her eyes downcast, closed. She sprang back, alert and with a once of victory in her voice she spoke.
“Your name is Shade Heart. That is my answer,” Twilight spoke with authority in her voice that only a alicorn could muster. She looked pasted the black crystalline bird cage, into the eyes of her captor. She could only assume that she was meeting his gaze, for his head of covered in a full cast blackened helmet. What kept really drawing her attention was the cape he was wearing, it looked to be made of feathers. Of what animal, she could only guess.
The lighting was far from what was to be desired.
“You are wrong, try again.” He spoke, his voice was deep and sounded aged.
Twilight snarled and stamped her hoof, “How do you expect for me to guess your name?! You give me no clues, no hints, not even anything to work with.” Twilight bellowed, failing to keep her normal air of calm. Every time she replayed the situation in her head, she still couldn’t believe she of all ponies got pony napped so easily.
Who in the world poisons a burger!? Well, this guy obviously, but still.
The stallion stepped closer to the caged, the down feather cape that rested now swayed was he trotted closer. “I have given you enough hints. Twilight Sparkle, who has stolen something so precious from me. Now you play innocent, I will not be fooled by you again.”
“I have never met you!”
The stallion stepped even closer to the cage which prompted Twilight to step back, her flanks rested against the cold crystal. “We have met many times. You just seem to forget it was me who you owe everything too. If I weren’t for me- “The stallion stopped and drew back, visibly breathing. A few moments passed in silence before he spoke again, tone to almost an early calm. “You have one more guess for today, Sparkle. Unlike you, I am fair,” he breathe out slowly, “the hints are around you.”
Not wanting to disturb the calm of the unicorn again, Twilight looked through the bars of her confines. The room was lackluster to be sure. It oddly didn’t give off the gloom and doom feel that normally came from being captured.
The floor was marble, black with light blue incandescent writing that flowed in the most intricate of patterns. Obviously magical, she could see that mana pulsed like a beating heart. All the threads of light bound to a circle that was ever so conveniently drawn around her prison. There were several candles pitched in odd spots on the floor, but those were either for decoration or part of the spell that kept her here.
Lucky her.
The room, much to her surprise and slight joy, were covered in books. Shelves upon shelves of, yet again, obviously magical books. There were inlaid into the stone wall, each waiting to be read by her. She knew if, no, when she got out of her she would read and reread them all.
On the far side of the circular room was the staircase that lead down from the room above. Other than the sound of the door at the top of the stairs, she could not see any other definable exit. If the room was a little lighter maybe she could see of some other way out. That sparked an idea.
“I need more light.” Twilight said with new authority. “If you want for me to solve this riddle from my surroundings, then I need to see better.”
The stallion stood there, motionless. Several moments passed before a loud groan akin to that of a foal being told that he had chores to do filled the small space. Without any prop or ceremony, a scroll dropped from under the feathered cape.
This single act gave Twilight a sinking suspicion of something. It was like walking through a thickly veiled mist, blindfolded with only sound to guide her. For the first time in the week she had been here, she thought she knew she had met this stallion before.
Where?
Sadly, it faded away the moment she saw that scroll begin to float. Normally such an action would not be much of a response. Floating was literally the basis of the basic. What caught her eye though was that there was no mana signature. Not even a trace of an aura wrapped around the vellum.
The scroll floated over to one of the candles that sat on the far side of the room. The vellum caught a flame and consumed the scroll almost hungrily. In its wake, not ash but four balls of mage light filled the room. Each one glowed, almost twinkling even as they floated to their respective corners of the room.
“There, I will be back tomorrow. Only three days remain.” The stallion said in a chill voice.
“Wait.” Twilight called back. “I get three guesses every day. That the deal for me to earn my freedom. I only got two today. You’re a stallion who keeps his word at least?” She hoped.
The stallion shot back almost just as fast. “Oh, the heavens must weep joyous tears of irony for you of all ponies to say that to me. Speak.” The stallion finished.
Twilight thought hard and fast. Alas, even with the light from the orbs that floated around the room they only did well to illuminate the ceiling. Which again, nothing much more was gained - save for an oddly out of place checkered pattern that lined the ceiling.
It was faint, but she had seen this pattern before. Although common enough to give her pause in her suspicion. Her question faded when the feathered stallion spoke.
“Make your guess.” He stated.
Twilight didn’t come up with anything that would make sense. What he was asking was for the impossible. Tell the name of the person who you cannot see. The only feature that she could make out was his coat.
It was the color pitch black, not his real color. A spotty die job. His original coat color was some shade of green. She could tell from some spots that were missed on the inside of his front legs. To go so far for something so silly.
“I want to change my guess into a question.” Twilight said.
The stallion oddly nodded, it was almost comical with the black helmet. “Oh, so you wish to through away so much for a question. Deal. I will not answer something so obvious as my name or where you are.”
“Tell me.” Twilight spoke with a tone of more authority. “What do you want?” She paused trying to think of the best possible word for her situation. “Indentured nonsense.”
“Are you sure you want that to be your question?” The stallion said.
“Yes.”
“To answer your question, Twilight Sparkle." He turned and Twilight knew he was looking right into her eyes. "I will make this short and sweet. Thanks to you, I can no longer die. In three days however, we both can take our final breath.
Author's Note
If you liked it please follow and comment on your thoughts of the story so far. If you hated it please tell me your thought in detail on how I can improve my writing.
Those who build a house of cards...
The wooden door slammed shut, the stallion sat on his haunches and breathed. Deep long gasps left his lungs, he collapsed looking toward the ceiling as he ripped the helmet from his head. It clattered to the ground and skittered across the floorboards of the small house. “Oh, Celestia that thing is stifling!” he said to no one.
His head hit against the door, breathing returning to a normal pace. A smile crept onto his face, grinning from ear to ear. “Well telling off your mortal enemy is fun, almost therapeutic even. I haven’t felt this good in ages.” He beamed. “Maybe I could hold off for a week or more.”
His eyes drifted across the humble features of his dwelling. A small single bed, well made with a red quilt that he had won last year hearths day raffle. A desk and some other earthly items one would expect. Sink, table, food that was prepared for him by the castle cooks.
The only odd part of the room was the books that scattered throughout the small room. Piles of research notes and some of the rarest tomes that a unicorn could get his hooves on. No small amount of pride filled him as he thought on what it took to get those books. Drifting to the memories, he looked to a framed document.
Lead Researcher of Spell craft and Alchemic Research. Below it was dates and times and the signatures of the two royal sisters themselves. Next to it though, was the one thing of true value that he had, a photo. A mare stood in the photo, she had the purest cream coat that every stallion would soon over. Her mane shared the color that of the sky itself at twilight, Vanilla Winds.
She was late in the pregnant of their first born, Tinder Spark. Round as any mare that late in the term.
The steel resolve that he took so long to must reaffirmed itself. “No, three days my love. I will be with you soon.”
Almost as if on cue, several frantic knocks came on the door. “Chief, Chief!” The colt bellowed from the other side of the door.
The stallion stood motionless like a colt who got caught with his hoof in the cookie jar. He knew who it was, his apprentice, “It's rude to address ponies by their titles, Book Mark, how would you feel if I called you ‘apprentice’ all day?”
“You gotta come quick, Princess Celestia has summoned you!” Book Mark blurted out, ignoring his comment. “Its super urgent, she said you had to drop whatever you were doing and come see her now.”
The stallion rolled his eyes. “Even when she is trapped, Twilight is still the cause of the pain in my back side.” The Chief grumbled underneath his breath. “Right I will be there in a moment.” The only response he got back was the trotting steps of eager colt trying to impress his princess. He didn’t blame him, he remembered part of his youth doing the very same for different ponies.
After taking a long look at the photo again and reminiscing about in his memories he decided he should get ready to meet his employer and overseer. He focused hard and blinked across the room. The cape fell to the floor with a rhythmic clack. The dye that covered his fur fell to the floor, staining the ground in a black powder.
Oh, course it was just a short-range teleport, but getting it to teleport himself and nothing he didn’t want on him was a feat. One of two spells he had mastered.
The stallion took a moment to check himself over though. The from dark forest green coat to his almond mane. Only an almond sized ebony jewel embedded on a silver chain graced his neck. After taking a moment to put on the white coat of his station and doing some last second touch ups to make himself presentable, he teleported into the throne room.
~ Throne Room on the Sun Princess ~
Sometimes, it’s the small things you overlook that will get you. Standing on the red carpet of the throne room was to be expected. It's where he wanted to go and he was always accurate when teleporting. The four spears inches away from his throat was not. He wasn’t scared, he tried that avenue years ago to no avail. No point in letting other ponies know you can’t die.
It was a sight to take in, not one but three of the princesses where there. All gathered around a map that had not one, but hundreds of tiny red exes on it. Obviously spots where they had looked for Twilight, he thought. As to be expected there was Twilight crew as well.
Researching them was an endeavor. Each one had their own little tie to the princess. Each had their own schedule to memorize. Each a thorn in his side to painstakingly avoid for when he did the deed. In the corner of the room was what looked like Twilight’s pet dragon. Sleeping on some pillow he had gotten from somewhere.
“Stand down guards,” Princess Luna shouted in a voice that echoed through the castle. All the guards looked at one another and then back to the intruder. Slowly they backed into their post against the columns that ran up the throne room.
Princess Celestia looked over, “I am sorry about that… head researcher.” The pause in the middle of the sentence was far too long to be a coincidence.
Did… did she forget my name!?
Luna spoke next. “Yes, well it seems introductions are in order. This is Princess Cadence, of the crystal Empire.”
“Oh, yes. We met twice before in the crystal empire.” Chief stated. “I even had a feast there dedicated to me by Prince Shining Armor.”
Cadence looked to the researcher and back to her royal sisters and then back to him. “My apologies head researcher. My memory is someone foggy since I gave birth. What were you there for again?”
Keeping a calm face was the single greatest feat that he would ever accomplish. Sadly, it did not work so well as a jaded, almost pained smile came to his face. “Oh, nothing much, I was the one who made the spell that shielded your entire kingdom while it was being attacked by a shadow monster. It was nothing, really.”
The pained silence that filled the room after was almost oddly deafening. Until a pink pony with leaned next to her rainbow mane friend and whispered in a voice that could be heard from Saddle Arabia. “He is smiling on the outside, but not the inside.”
Not wanting to be here longer anymore the stallion spoke aloud, “Well for all of you who wish to know, I am the header researcher in spell craft and alchemic research here in Canterlot. My name is—”
The room was deafened by a loud crash as a youthful earth pony colt smashed his way through the front door. The colt was vastly out of breath, the rising and falling of his light blue coat and the sheens of sweat dripping out of his mane showed the effort he gave. The young alchemy apprentice Book Mark, stood on shaky hooves.
“Princess Luna, Chief, is coming!” He said wheezing. It was almost comical as he took in the view and saw his master standing there with one brow raised. “Oh, right, teleporting…”
It was like the room eased all at once, Celestia was the first to speak. “Book Mark, good job on delivering your message, you are free to go. Go down to the kitchens and tell Sweetie Pie to get you something to eat.” She finished.
It looked like you could have blown the filly over with a feather. He bowed his head and never raise it was passed the door. Down the hall he ran faster. Obviously, the promise of sweets from the legendary Sweetie Pie was even the better prize than he hoped for.
She remembered her cooks name, figures.
“Enough of this, Twilight has been missing for days now.” Rainbow Dash almost yelled as she flew over the map. “We can’t find hide nor hoof of her anywhere.”
“Yes, and we are plum tuckered out.” Apple Jack said, eyes downcast.
“Under normal circumstances when it deals with magic.” Celestia said looking to the map. “We usually have Twilight deal with things that me or the other Alicorns cannot handle. So, we need somepony to head the search in the for Twilight.”
The stallion tried his hardest not to chuckle.
“Do not worry Princess Celestia, I will gladly take up the spearhead to find Princess Twilight.” The stallion stated with authority. “I shall not rest until she has been found and the culprit taken and punished for his crimes against the kingdom.
Celestia shook her head, “No, Chief, you are to assist the pony I put in charge of the investigation. We need your research lab to help in the search effective immediately.”
The stallion didn’t know what was worse. The fact that the Princess whom he was working under for years. Didn’t even know his name. Or the fact that she put someone above him in the search and gave them his lab to do it.
“If I may so bold as to ask who you are giving my lab and personal time too.” Chief said with as much sweetness as he could muster at that moment.
Ask and you shall receive, it was like the world was trying to stop him from taking revenge Twilight. A mare who he had never seen before teleported next to him. Her coat was either a light pink or purple, he could not decide. The streak of light blue in contrast with the dark purple reminded him of tooth paste.
He knew though, if the laws of nature were indeed in playing against him then this mare was the one who would now be the spearhead the search. He gazed over at the guards who were still standing at attention. None even moved a muscle to stop her. Of course.
“I found Twilight!”
Oh crap.
The stallion all but faded into the background as he watched his master plan unravel. He was looking at the mare in a new light, he could not die but he was sure there was a specific place where he could go were reaching his love would be out of his grasp forever.
“Starlight where is she!?” Every pony in the room said the same question. All with slightly different variant, each trying to get theirs answered first.
Starlight shook her head, “She is here in Canterlot, I don’t know where she is but she is trapped in a dark room underground.” Without any preamble her horn glowed a light turquoise and a steam of mana lit up the center of the room as a giant thin sheet appeared that looked like a mirror.
Although slightly avaited , he felt his heart go back into normal place again. Still he remained quiet.
Twilight was stretching a hoof out of the cage, trying to get at a thick tome that was the closest to her in the cage. She was swiping at it like a cat to yarn.
“Where in Canterlot is this?” Celestia said first, trying to discern some location in Canterlot.
“I don’t know, this is the best I could do.” Starlight said as she eyed the room. “This spell lets me scry any pony.”
Almost without trying the words fell from his lips, “Scrying magic has been lost for almost a thousand year, how in the pony world did you get your hooves on that!?” As a pony who spent his life making spells, he was more than a little interested.
“I have a source,” was all Starlight said to answer the question. “That isn’t all. She said as she began manipulating the image. The mirror Twilight froze in place and the spell panned up to give a bird’s eye view. She shifted and Twilight began to fade along with the cage and books. All that was left on the surface of was a circle where Twilight was standing and thousands of threads connecting to the wall.
“This rune here is old Ponish. It is a basic magic rune that was meant to help cure the sick, but was stopping being used a couple hundred years ago.” Starlight explained. “The rune you see doesn’t actually heal anything. It was meant to bring a pony back to a state they were originally.”
“So… somepony pony napped her to… heal her?” Apple Jack questioned.
Starlight shook her head, “I know it sounds odd but this spell is just siphoning off her alicorn magic. If she runs dry then—”
“She will revert back into a normal, mortal, pony.” Chief said, his mouth dropped in play shock. “With her a normal unicorn again, she would be able to be…” He paused for dramatic effect. “Killed.”
Starlight turned and nodded, “but I don’t think that would be the reason for all of this.” She gestured to the mirror. “That rune takes weeks, if not months to make properly. One that size, would take a year if not more.”
Two years, six months and four days, but who's counting.
“Energy can’t be destroyed,” Starlight said, “Only changed or redirected. If somepony gets their hooves on that magic stored in that room. I think somepony could easily transform into a alicorn.”
The chief engineer thought on that for a long moment. Being a prince would be cool, but being hunted down for killing Twilight after for all of eternity would not. He dismissed the idea. Let the poor sap who reads those books enjoy the bump in status.
“This is what I don’t get though,” Starlight said pointing to the rune. “All the alicorn magic is being stored in the books around her. From the rate she is being drained, I say, three days left at tops before she reverts back into a unicorn.”
A twisted smile grew on the chief researchers face as he thought, let her be done in by the one thing she loves most.
“This is grave, but good news Starlight.” Celestia said. “If Twilight is in the city then we can call back Shining Armor and several of the scout teams that were sent to explore the Winter Lands.” Celestia looked in the face of each of her subjects in turn. “We must be vigilant ponies. We also cannot let it slip beyond this room that Twilight is missing.”
“Yes, my princess.” Chief said bowing his head slightly. It wasn’t heard by any pony in the room as the room filled with many of the ponies accepting the order.
“Starlight,” the mare almost had whiplash as her head shot back up. “This is Chief, he will be assisting you in your search for the princess. He is well versed in magic and will be invaluable in your search for Twilight.”
The stallion could almost sense the apology in her voice. He could just hear the sweet butter icing as the word “invaluable” left her lips.
Starlight looked at the stallion, there wasn’t much to her gaze. Judging, or sizing up even. It wasn’t the best look to be sure. Sadly, there was much to do and very little time to do it in.
“Chief,” It was his turn to jerk up like a chicken after feasting. “You will join the girls in their search. Do whatever they say and that promotion you have been hinting at will be yours.”
The stallion inwardly groaned. He knew it now, she really didn’t remember him in the slightest. The stallion who wanted the promotion was his junior, who want his job as Chief of magic and alchemic research.
“Ask you command.” Chief murmured, his ear flicked as he registered on word a little too late. “Girls… your highness?”
Celestia nodded, “Why yes, Rarity, Apple Jack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. You will assist each other them in their search.” She said like it was the great honor in the entire world. “I used to know a pony like you would spent fair to much time in books and less time interacting with other ponies.”
He didn’t know what was worse. Now he had to kowtow to all of Twilight’s friends, or that now he was directly compared to her of all ponies. It was enough to churn his stomach inside out.
“As you command,” He said again, this time a little more grit in his throat. That ended almost all conversation. Each pony said their respective goodbyes. He could only thank his good fortune and cursed luck. Now was the time to plan.
There was three days left until the spell completed. Three days until he could meet his wife again. He looked around to the mares that started to gather around him with a knowing smile. He had to stop the group of ponies from foiling his plan. Each one with a plethora of abilities and tricks that saved Equestria repeatedly. His eyes though fell on his black gleamed necklace.
They aren’t the only ponies who have an ace in the hole.
Author's Note
If you liked it please follow and comment on your thoughts of the story so far. If you hated it please tell me your thought in detail on how I can improve my writing.
