Into Ashes: Act II

Twinkleshine carries on at a distance as we trundle over the rocks. The Moon is now high in the sky, rising over the ridges and giving us just enough vision to keep moving forward. Duke hops along excitedly, singing to himself and practically dancing as he trots. I look to him humorously. It lifts my spirits somewhat to see that one can still be so chipper in these dark times. But I also look to Twinkleshine. She looks distraught, a heavy burden weighs her mind. She does not speak, and does not look our way. She only keeps her distance as the pain from her fight grows as she hobbles.

As we further our way back home, I can only think back to my encounter with Prince Mustang. Everything he said, every point against Twilight he brought up.. I may not be under his mind twisting psionics anymore, but it all feels all too real. It all still hangs fresh in my mind. He knew so much. He knew exactly how I had been treated and exactly when I was coming. But.. how? Does he have an inside man? A spy working against Twilight and her plight? I still think of Twilight as my captor. I still look at her and see my enemy. But.. somehow I understand. I can't blame her entirely.

I think back to how lucky we were. It strikes me sternly to realize how little control we had. Everything was out of our grasp. We only made it out because not everything had gone with the plan they set for us. But it came close. The true hero of the night was luck.

That.. ghost I saw.. when Mustang passed. Its face still haunts me. Those burning eyes still jab through the windows of my own soul. Whatever it was, ghostly in nature or otherwise, there’s obviously too much I do not understand about magic.

Speaking of magic, my attention swings back to Twinkle. Twinkleshine is obviously one who does not give up easily. I subtly admire how she could have taken so much and kept going. This trend surprisingly holds for many of her kind. I only saw her hit twice, and though the attacks were faced we weak, it’s unclear how many more times she was hit while I dealt with Mustang. But from the way she's limping it looks like she took quite a few. I've seen so many creative spells in my time. I wonder why they do not use them. Those we ran into could have use telekinesis, paralysis, a whole host of other spells and yet they revert to such simplicity.

We thought unicorns would be weak when we first arrived, but we were sorely wrong. They turned out to be our greatest threat. Our only weapons against them were sheer numbers, and how efficient we are with swift, deadly dispatching. I've seen some incomprehensibly powerful attacks. I heard of entire units being held back by just a handful of them. But in the end, once our main force had arrived with jets, “Thunder Birds” they called them, and tanks, it was all over. A total of 80 million soldiers landed in the Equine Theater alone. And that's not to include vehicles, aircraft and the heavy guns that covered them.

But now for some reason, their magic is weak. Bolts and shields are only the most basic of their scopious repertuar. Perhaps it's to do with the dwindling energy that persists in their world. Twinkle mentioned something about access, but to what? They must draw their energy from somewhere or something, but I doubt that in my scientific capacity, I will ever understand it completely. Still though, it surprises me to see how much Twinkle could take and keep going. She must be very powerful. Something I’ve learned in my trials about unicorns, adeptness in magic works both ways. It affects their skill and how much they can unleash at once, but also how much they can absorb as punishment. It almost works like body armor, which is something I unfortunately was never given the luxury of being issued. My only defence was a stealth cloak, and my training. With our cloaks we were almost invisible when motionless. But it didn’t take much for a proficient unicorn to cripple one of us. Given that humans have absolutely no bearings on magic, we have zero natural defence against it as a powerful magic wielder would. But they didn’t just have magic on their side. They were pretty crafty, too. I lost my closest teammates to one of their more.. creative defences of a small village sat in the middle of a forest.

The entire way we’ve come, I've been on constant look out for Mustang’s goons. Every few hundred meters or so, we’ve stopped to make sure we aren’t being followed. All scans come up negative, but I just can't shake the feeling we’re being watched. Perhaps it's just my paranoia getting the better of me, as it always does.

• - - -

Duke looks to Twinkle as she trots along solemnly. He noticed her sad and slightly pained expression, her eyes barely open. “Something wrong Twink? You look a little upset.”

“Sigh, Don’t worry about it Duke. I’ll be fine.”

“I'm sure you will, but come on, nothing better than sharing it with your best friend.”

“It's fine, Duke.”

“You always say that when it really isn't. Come ooooonn. Is this about running out of magic? Or getting hit again?”

“Ugh, Duke you know I'm not that shallow.” She smiles softly, playfully batting Duke away with her hoof.

“You can tell us Twink. We’re all friends here.”

“Well, most of us are friends at least.”

She looks to me, but her face is hard to read. I'm not sure if it shows a natural spite for me, or if she means something more.. friendly.

“Nah we’re all friends. Ain't that right Jax?”

“Woah hey don't bring me int-- I mean, sure. Friends, why not. We did work well enough to get through this in one piece.” I say.

“You see Twink?”

“Fine. I'll tell you when we get back home.”

“Nope. You're going to tell me now because I know you, and you're just going to keep holding it down like it doesn't matter. Come on Twink, I care about ya. You did so well tonight. We totally wouldn't have pulled that off without you. What could you be down about? Be proud of yourself, you did awesome.”

“Well, I can't say that I’m proud of what I saw and.. what I did.”

“Nah, like you said you did what you had to. At least now we’re one step closer, right?”

“I know, Duke. One step closer. I just.. wish there was some other way.”

“Some other way than what?”

“Some other way than fighting. Than killing. This war for peace is pointless. It doesn't do anything for anyone except get more of us killed, on both sides. I just.. wish Prince Mustang would see that and finally give us a break.”

I want to say something about Mustang but I know I shouldn't. I can't be sure how either of them would react if I told them I had more than just a word with him. Perhaps it's something I should bring up privately with Twilight.

“I.. feel the same way.” Duke replies, now calmed to match Twinkle’s mood. “But, well this is just how things are, and it's what we have to deal with until we get all the Elements back.”

“IF we get them back.”

“Cheer up Twink. I mean look at us, you and I, plus Jax of course, we’re the best of the best. Prince Mustang ain't got nothing the three of us can’t handle.”

“Yeah, except numbers Duke. He's got at least 20 times what we have. I don't know how he's managing to keep getting so many, or where they're even coming from but.. Have you ever thought we might be on the wrong side?”

“Twink he gets them by kidnapping from wherever he can find more. Then he makes them join.”

“Yeah but how does he make them? They all seem so willing and ready to just jump on the train. I don't think he’s forcing any of them. Maybe.. maybe they just have it better..”

“You're starting to sound a little.. strange. I don't like it.”

“There's just a lot going on Duke, I.. I just need a break.”

“Well make sure you get plenty of sleep tonight. There's gunna be a lot of downtime till we have to go out again. Take a break Twink, you've been working hard, you need it. I'll even cover your guard shifts for you.”

“Thanks Duke..”

“It's his magic.” I say. “That's how he gets so many to join him.”

“His magic?” Twinkle says looking at me. “But.. how? And why would you know?”

“.. Twilight told me. She said something about him being able to use it for mind control. She didn't tell you that?”

“No, Twilight doesn't tell us anything. Aside from where to go and what to do. Like we’re her pawns or something. You'd think she'd be a little more honest with us, let us know a little more.”

“.. Well then. Well she told me a lot. I wonder what else she's hiding if that's the case. But yeah, as a soldier I'd agree. If you're her best I think she should be telling you more.”

“Maybe she just does it because she's got a lot going on as well.” Duke says in honest defence. “I mean, we all know she's got a lot on her plate being in her role. Maybe she just forgets sometimes.”

“A good leader wouldn't forget things like “Hey, Fluttershy’s still crazy so watch out” or “There’s gunna be a hundred guards around Loyalty so be careful”. Sometimes more heads up would be nice.”

“Maybe.. maybe she just doesn't always know either. She's not psychic, you know.”

“She really doesn't tell you that much? Is it that bad?” I ask, now further questioning Twilight's leadership. And also questioning Twinkleshine's character.

“Yeah. Maybe Twilight just isn't the right pony for the job.”

“Twinkle Shine!” Duke exclaims, taken aback.

“What! We’re all thinking it! I'm just the one who's honest enough to say it!”

“You're starting to sound more like one of Prince Mustang's goons! Totally not cool Twink. Twilight's doing her best! Even if her ideas are a little sketchy, it's better than being under a psionic spell, like Jax pointed out! Come on, pull yourself together. You know your mind’s not in the right place right now. When we get back, I'm taking you straight to Primrose to get checked out, and then you're going to bed.”

“This is why I didn't want to bring it up.” She trots ahead, distancing herself. Duke and I look on as she leads the way. He carries on muted, while I study in on Twinkle. Her words seemed.. questionable. Perhaps underneath how she spoke are seditious motives. The early, or possibly late stages of seeded betrayal. It's already known to me that somehow, through some pony or some way, Prince Mustang is spying on Twilight. Certain things would be explained about the character I see in her if this were true. I should bring this up with Twilight as well, it could be her.

As we go on through the chilling night, the craggy valleys of Ramble Rock Ridge gives back into the smooth plains south of Ponyville. Our return journey goes undisturbed, though a watchful spirit is always held between us. We soon see a hill in the distance. A boulderous caveway marks the entrance to the enclave. I can see Twilight up ahead. She paces back and forth uneasily as she awaits news of our mission. But she spots us, and gallops towards us with excitement.

And so there she is. She looks different now that I've uncovered more about her. What joy I had from our success quickly dissipates as I look into her eyes. They gleam with hope, but shine just as equally with apprehension. Fearful of bad news as she notices our ragged condition the closer she comes. “You're back!” She shouts, sliding to a stop. “How’d it go? Did you find the -- Oh my gosh! Jax, what happened!”

“What?”

“You’re covered in blood!”

“Oh. Things got a little.. Out of hand. I tried to avoid it but, I did what I had to do.”

“It wasn’t his fault, Twilight.” Twinkle interjects.

“Twinkle.. What happened out there..?” Twilight asks, saddened to see our bumps and bruises.

We all stare at her in silence, our bodies tired, and our spirits exhausted. She looks to me. “.. Did you get it?”

I pull the Element from my pocket without saying a word. Twilight’s face grows bright with joy. “You, you actually did it! Jax, I --” She clears her throat. “We need to get this down to the sanctum now. I need to make sure it’s still.. On our side.”

“On our side? What does that mean?” I ask.

“I’ll explain more when we get down there. Twinkle.. You’re hurt, are you okay?”

“I’m fine. I’m going to see Primrose right now. Come on Duke..”

They leave, their heads down low. We follow them back into the caves, but our paths soon split as we go off with different missions in mind.

• - - -

The sanctum doors slam shut behind us. Now that we’re alone, I finally have my chance to speak with Twilight. “Okay Jax, now we need to --”

“What the hell’s going on here Twilight.”

“I - Jax, w-what do you mean?”

“You sent us into a trap! They knew we were coming!”

“What! But, how can that be?”

“Don’t act so surprised. You’ve been at this for a while now, you should have an idea of the battlefield. And I know you’re hiding things from us. If it wasn’t for sheer luck, we wouldn’t have made it out of there alive!”

“Jax, I --”

“Start talking, Twilight. You’re going to tell me everything and you’re going to tell me the truth.”

“You want the truth..? But I’ve told you the truth!”

“No, you told us only parts of it. I want the whole thing, the whole story, and I want it now or I’m out.”

“Jax I’ve told you everything! I don't think you know what you’re --”

“Yes, I do! I learned a lot while I was out there, had some time to think and now I see the bigger picture. You’re keeping us in the shadows, you’re forcing your own people to live under ignorance!”

She looks at me frightened, and confused. Backing away, her face of anguish says more than words. She’s afraid I’ve found out her lies, she’s afraid I see through her guise. But she looks away, summons a chair and crawls up to sit. She looks back down to my feet, her face now overcome with grief. “The truth? The truth is..”

She bows her head, and the Element leaves my hand under her control. It floats away, glowing as she sets it in the center of the pointed table. As she speaks, her horn glows. She’s casting a spell on the gem, I can tell. “Yes. I haven’t been honest with you Jax. I haven’t been honest with anypony, for that matter. There’s so much going on, I don’t think I even fully understand it.”

A swarm of ghostly wisps loop and swirl around the element. It rises inches from the table, and there is a bright flash before it slowly floats back down.

She sighs with relief. “Good. It still has enough magic to remain stable. Jax.. The truth.. The truth is.. I’m afraid. I don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t know what the right steps are or what to do next. I don’t have my guidance anymore. I’ve lost control of myself, and now I’m losing control of everything around me.” A solitary tear rolls down her cheek. “The world is falling apart in ways no one can imagine, and I’m powerless to fix it. I thought if I kept the truth from everypony, they’d be less afraid and have more hope. I don’t tell anyone everything because I’m afraid I might lose them. I’ve lost so many.. So many close friends.. Family.. Everyone I’ve ever.. loved..”

I stand and listen, not muttering a sound or word. But I have one question I must ask. “What is going on?”

Losing control of herself, she falls into tears. She tries to keep her hold, tries to hold back her falling droplets but fails. “I don’t know Jax. That’s the problem. The invasion was hard enough, it was impossible - But now I face something even worse and I don’t even know what it is!”

This isn’t acting. I know that this really is the truth.

She summons a chair for me, and I take the offer. Now sitting across from her, I rub my hands together and think of what to say. “So.. You and I are practically the same then.”

She looks to me unsure, wiping her face. I go on. “I don’t know what I’m doing either. I have no plan. I thought I did, but everything kinda changed when I met Fluttershy. I still don’t understand anything about you, your magic, or what comes next. I’m kinda just.. Playing it by ear and hoping I’m still alive in the end.”

There’s silence. I look to her, her eyes dart around, and we both think carefully of our words. Both of us are calm, especially myself though I’m still not sure what or who to believe in. I still have things I’m hiding from her as well. Equal pay for equal sin I suppose. I.. know I should tell her about Mustang but.. I don’t know, I guess I’m afraid of what might follow. I know that he was important to keep alive, but with all Twilight’s been through, maybe it’s too much. I’ll let it slide.. For now. “So what do you know.” I ask.

She wipes her face, and takes a deep breath. “I know.. That we’re running out of time. Everything I said earlier was true, but there may have been a few minor details I left out. Things that, might make the situation seem more dangerous if the others knew.”

“Well it’s just you and me now. Apparently we’re still working together so, perhaps we should be more honest.”

“..Yes. Well, the most important thing I left out earlier was the nature of fading magic. I’m sure you’re wondering what the Elements of Harmony are. I probably should have told you that already too but -” She goes on in depth, explaining their purpose, and what each of the six represent. I find it a little silly that friendship is the key to everything, but I push that to the side. As much as I want to joke about it, I understand its depth, its effects, and its dire importance.

“- But they still have a weakness. They can be turned into the opposite of what they represent. And when that happens, it starts, how do I describe this.. I haven’t had much time to research this. All the archives of their history have been destroyed so I have no way to study into it. But what I’ve learned is that as their magic fades, they become corrupt and begin exuding negative magic to those around it. You asked about why we’re all so afraid of Fluttershy earlier. It’s because she came in contact with her own element after it had been corrupted. Her Element is Kindness, and the opposite of that is Cruelty. She went.. Out of her way and it led so many brave colts to losing their lives. I’m amazed to see she’s turned back to normal. Whatever you did, whatever you two experience out their on your own somehow reverted her back.”

“Fluttershy, killed her own people?”

“Well, not exactly. She’d been acting strange for a time but never anything awful. I sent her and a large group of my best colts to retrieve Kindness, but before they could even get to it, Fluttershy.. Broke. From what witnesses told me, she led a night crawler to them and.. Of the twelve I sent out, only two made it back. We tried our best to save the others, but we lost them too. I had no choice but to exile her. And now Kindness is lost.”

“..I see..”

“Look at this.” She changes the table’s face into a display with one number showing. “74. That’s how many ponies I and Equestria have left to count on. It includes everyone here, except.. Well, you. But that number keeps dropping. It hasn’t gone up once for the last two months. We’re up against the clock to keep everypony alive, and to keep the elements from being corrupted. I can’t thank you enough, Jax. You brought Loyalty back with just enough magic that I could keep it stable. It’s still weak, but I have no way of restoring it.”

“How are you going to fix it then? Don’t you need it’s magic to restore balance?”

“I do, but.. One step at a time. I don’t know if there’s a way, I just need to make sure we get them all before it’s too late. That’s why I also need the crowns of the Royal Sisters. Maybe somehow I can use their magic to assist me, if it’s not too late for them as well.”

“That’s going to take some time. And you’ve only managed to get two so far --”

“I know.”

“How long before the magic dies?”

“I.. can’t say for sure. But you’ve put me farther ahead than I could have gotten on my own. One step closer. I owe you a debt of gratitude.”

“Well I still have one more I can find before I, leave.” I say this knowing.. Maybe it would be wiser to stick around. But I keep stopping myself from believing it. What is truth? Where do I fit in? Who was more right, Mustang or Twilight? I guess, looking from the outside, both can be seen as righteous. The world is full of truths, just as much as it is with lies. It just depends on which truth I expose myself to more. “So how do we find the next one?” I ask. “Any idea where it is?”

“I’ll have to spend more time meditating before I find it. I would send more search parties out, but I risk losing them more and more every time. My only hope is that I can look through the ether to find where they’re hidden.”

“How long will that take?”

“Days? Weeks? I don’t - It all depends on how much of their magic remains. I should start now. In the meantime.. Here.” All the stains of dried blood covering me glow. As that light fades, the blood disappears. “Start introducing yourself to everypony. They should like you more now that you’ve brought back an Element.”

“One more thing.”

“What is it?”

“You said as the elements fade, they start corrupting those around them, yes?”

“Correct.”

“I think the loyalty of someone you know is in question.”

“What do you mean?”

“Mustang knew we were coming. He set a trap for us. I think you have a spy on your, hooves.”

“A spy..?”

“And I think I know who it might be. I can’t be for sure though.”

“Well tell me. Any information you have is greatly appreciated.”

“Twinkleshine. I noticed from the way she acts, and some of the things she’s said - I think Deceit is beginning to get a hold of her.”

“No.. Not Twinkle.. I’ve known her since we were students at the Canterlot School for Gifted Unicorns. She’s been by my side this whole time.” Her mouth begins to quiver. “Are, are you sure? Do you know she’s really turned against me?”

“No. Like I said I can’t be sure. But I’d keep an eye on her if I were you.”

“Twinkle..” She lets out an unending sigh of worry. “I need to get back to meditating. I’ll send for you when I find the next. Until then.. Watch over Twinkle for me, but don’t make it too obvious. This quest keeps getting more and more out of hoof…”

Meanwhile

“It just doesn’t stop, Primrose.” Twinkle says, her legs hanging over the side of a crude hospital bed. “All the killing, all the missions, just one after the other. It never ends!” She speaks quick, her voice straining in distress. “I feel like Twilight treats me more like a tool than an actual living, breathing, Unicorn.”

“Twink, she relies on you so much because she knows she can count on you more than anypony else.” Says Primrose as she organizes bottles of medicines.

“I KNOW, I know.. I just, wish I could get a little break. But she sends me out there almost every day! I’m starting to go crazy!”

“Twinkle, --”

“I keep getting caught, I keep having to end so many lives! I don’t know how much more of this I can take Prim!”

“Well, maybe now with that Human around, things will finally change.”

“I sure hope so.”

“How was he? I hear that you wouldn’t have gotten it back if it weren’t for him. Is he really on our side?”

“No, he’s just in it for himself! But.. It’s true. He’s the one who got the element. If he wasn’t there, I don’t think I would have made it back. Or Duke. He would have tried too hard to save me.”

“Duke likes you, Twink.”

“Really? I couldn’t tell.”

“Don’t be sarcastic Twink. I’m --”

“I know, you’re just trying to help me. I’m under a lot of stress right now.”

“I have medicine for that.”

“Ugh, no thanks. I can deal with my problems on my own.”

“Okaaay, whatever you say. Can’t force you to take these… What about Duke? How do you feel about him?”

“Prim, you know I’m not into that kind of stuff. He’s like my brother. I could never fall for him. Plus he’s too optimistic. He’s always overly hopeful and doesn’t see the world for what it is like you and I do.”

“Maybe optimism is something we need.”

“You sound like you hate saying that.”

“I do. But am I wrong?”

“Well, no. But maybe.. I don’t know, I shouldn’t say it.”

“Well now you have to say it.”

Duke enters the room, holding a plate of steaming food. “Oh Twiiink, look what I brought! It’s your favorite, Apple Blueberry Coooobblerrr to cheer you uuup!”

Twinkle smiles warmly, with a light chuckle. “Thanks, Duke. You’re always so kind to me.”

“Of course!” He says as he passes the plate to Twinkle.

“Wait, where’d you get the Blueberries from?”

“Duplication spell.”

“Duke! You’re not supposed to use magic, you know better!”

“Aww come on, you know I’m good at covering it up! Did you get your magic back yet?”

“Sigh, not yet. I was going to do it with Twilight when she wasn’t busy with Jax.”

“Prim can do it. I’ll shroud you while she does it. Prim, do you mind?”

Primrose lets out a quick, heavy sigh knowing she shouldn’t but will anyway. “No, I don’t. Let’s get it over with.”

Duke casts a field of dispersion around Twinkle and Primrose, cloaking their magic as they touch their horn tips together. Both of their horns shine as they align they're auras. After a short time, Twinkles magic is restored to normal.

“Welp, you’re all set Twinkle.” Primrose says, returning to her duties.

“Duke if you don’t mind, Prim and I were having a private conversation.”

“Oooh, oops, sorry. I didn’t know I was interrupting. I’ll just leave you two to your maretalk then.”

Duke leaves, bouncing happily as he trots. Primrose and Twinkle wait until he is gone from earshot.

“He liiiiikes yooouuu.” Primrose says, a chime in her voice as she grins suggestively.

“Ugh, stop. I have my eyes set on another colt anyway.”

“What were you saying?

The mood falls back under tension as Twinkle’s stress sets back in. “Forget about it. I shouldn’t say it.”

“Saying you shouldn’t means you have to now. It’s just you and me, I can keep my mouth shut.”

“Do you ever think we’re on the wrong side?”

“Uch, I think about it everyday. They have it so much better over there.”

“You ever think about.. Leaving?”

“Still Hooves and I almost did at one point. That’s a secret, don’t tell anypony.”

“What stopped you?”

“Morals. As unicorns who specialize in medical treatment, we couldn’t just leave. It’s our duty to take care of the sick and weak. Over there? They’re not sick or weak. You guys needed us more than they did.”

“I’m thinking I should.. I don’t know Prim! I don’t know if I want to keep fighting for Twilight if Mustang keeps it up like this..”

“That sounds very selfish of you.”

“I’m a selfish mare, what can I say.”

“Oh please. You know you’re not selfish. You know there’s more at stake here than just your life. You fight for the greater good, you love a good underdog story because that’s what you are.”

“I don’t know.. I just don’t trust Twilight anymore.”

“I trust her more than I’d ever trust the slimey gelding Prince Mustang is.”

“You’re just saying that because you want me to stay.”

“Of course I want you to stay. And you want to stay too. We have your back Twinkle, everypony does. We all look up to you. You have everything you could over there, right here with us. You’d be more of a tool to Mustang anyway. Twilight actually cares about you.”

“She has a funny way of showing it.”

“I think she’s under more stress than you are. Just keep your head up, Twink. It’ll all blow over eventually and you’ll be the Heroine of Equestria.”

“It won’t blow over. Not for me, not until I’m dead.”

“Stop talking like that and lay back down. Get some rest. Your head’ll be clearer when you wake up, I promise.”

“Whatever you say, doc…… And.. Thanks. For your advice.”

“Of course. And thank you for taking it.”

Primrose smiles proudly at Twinkle as she lays back down. Twinkle calms her own troubled thoughts as she brings her eyes to a close. She still worries, she’s still afraid and unsure. But she rests under Primroses dutiful care.

End of Act 2.