And so it was that Wind Song, Moonlight, Willow, Snow Star, Orange Blossom, and Honeybell found themselves once again in a narrow underground passage which, if Spike’s words proved true and this wasn’t some kind of elaborate trap meant to ensnare them, would lead to a drain cover in one of Canterlot’s less privileged districts. A cool humid breeze blew steadily past them, reducing the sense of claustrophobia which they would have undoubtedly experienced were the air still and warm. The six ponies made slow progress up this rough tunnel, bent low to avoid bumping their heads on the many larger stones which stuck out at odd angles from the walls and ceiling.

Below their hooves a small slow trickle of water ran past down the slope the passage up which they slowly progressed. The walls, as Wind Song discovered when he accidentally brushed one with a slight shift of a flank, were cold and damp and covered in a thin layer of slime. The dank scent of mold pervaded the cramped space and made Orange Blossom sneeze several times.

An hour into this part of their journey, Willow and Snow Star, who had been leading the little party, stopped in their tracks, going still as statues. Wind Song stopped too and could hear the unicorns’ ragged breathing which sounded far more labored than the easy walk warranted. These thoughts were abruptly interrupted as Honeybell walked right into him from behind, nearly causing him to fall forward.

“Oops. Sorry, Windy!” Honeybell said apologetically, looking chagrined. “Didn’t see you there. Is everything o…”

She went quiet as she saw Willow and Snow Star who now stood trembling in the middle of the passage.

“Willow? Snow?” Moonlight said, walking forward from her place beside Wind Song and stretching out one leg and tentatively tappin Willow on the flank.

Instantly, Willow let out a scream and jumped several inches into the air before the muffled “plock” of her skull hitting the cave’s low ceiling reverberated through the air like a hammerfall and her little orb of magical light winked out. Willow dropped to the ground, rubbing her head with one hoof.

Snow Star had also jumped slightly and turned around to face the others. In the dim light of his horn, Wind Song saw Snow Star’s wide, terrified eyes swimming with tears.

In a voice so steady it surprised the others, Snow Star said, “We need to go. Now.”

These five words were not spoken loudly, but they passed the unicorn’s lips with a sense of earnest urgency that nopony with enough sense to value their own life hardly ever disobeys.

“Is she here?!” Willow called out, apparently finished rubbing her bruised skull and staring wildly around the tunnel.

“Is who here?” Honeybell asked quickly.

Snow Star turned back to Willow and helped her to her hooves, still breathing hard, and said, “No, she’s not. We just need to get out of here.”

Willow and Snow Star turned and, without another word, began to move more quickly up the sloping passage. The others quickly followed, not wanting to be left behind in the darkness with no light.

“What do you think that was about?” Wind Song asked Moonlight as they cantered to catch up to the unicorns who were already thirty or so paces ahead.

The steady “cloppity cloppity” of Honeybell’s and Orange Blossom’s hooves sounded behind the two pegasi as they also tried to catch up.

Moonlight looked thoughtful as she trotted beside him before saying, “I’m not sure, but if I had to guess, I’d say this was the tunnel they saw in their...dream, or vision...whatever it was.”

Wind Song then remembered what Willow and Snow Star had said about the tunnel they had entered when they had seen Black Rose’s thoughts leading down under the streets of Canterlot through a drain cover in the slums.

“Oh no.” Wind Song replied, looking beat.

Moonlight nodded in agreement.

The unicorns clearly knew their path well as they passed passage after dark empty passage which led off to one side or another, always going straight ahead. They soon put on even more speed, breaking into a full gallop as their fear drove them forward. This went on for at least twenty five minutes before they finally slowed and came to a stop against a solid wall of brick, breathing hard and covered in sweat in spite of the cool air. Above them, a large round metal cover sat in what Wind Song could only assume was the recessed hollow in the street above.

It took all six ponies, including Honeybell and Orange Blossom’s prodigious strength, to remove the huge metal disc. It scraped loudly over the cobblestones above as they heaved it out of the way. Each of them helped the others scramble out of the newly created entry and onto the street.

Willow and Snow Star looked relieved as they stepped into the narrow street in Canterlot’s west district and extinguished their lights. This last action plunged them into near darkness when the flickering luminescence of the street lamps failed to illuminate their surroundings. The only visible light was that of the moon above, which shone down and laid on their surroundings like a pool of liquid silver and seemed to give every surface a strange, oddly flat appearance.

At last, as Honeybell was finally heaved to the surface by Orange Blossom and Wind Song, and the six exhausted ponies stood panting in the empty street, complete silence met their ears. Without waiting, Wind Song beckoned quietly to his friends to follow him off the street and into the concealing shadows of a nearby building.

The ramshackle building in whose shadow they rested seemed to be falling apart at every plank and joint. Wind Song felt that a small breeze could bring the whole mess of the thing coming down on their heads if they weren’t careful. Taking a few nervous steps back from the tumbledown structure, he addressed his friends.

“Now,” he began. “Spike said that whatever we’re looking for is beneath the east tower of the palace. Do any of you know how we should go about getting there?”

Snow Star obliged this question with a nod and said, “After we get out of the slums and into the nicer part of the city, we’re likely to be far more conspicuous and there will probably be other ponies and guards around. If we stick to the shadows and alleys we’re far less likely to be noticed. The tricky part is going to be getting into the palace grounds themselves. There’s a wall surrounding the entire estate and a wide street outside of that.”

“Is there nowhere where buildings come right up to the wall where we can jump over without being spotted?” Moonlight asked hopefully.

“Unfortunately not.” Snow Star replied grimly. “The road surrounds the entire inner portion of the palace that isn’t on the edge of the city terrace. We’ll have to find a way to get across the street and over the wall without being spotted.”

“Is it usually busy at this time of night?” Wind Song asked. “When I was here last week, I was always asleep by now.”

“Sometimes.” advised Willow. “Every evening on the streets surrounding the palace, there’s the Festival of Lights which goes from just before sunset until nearly midnight. But somehow I doubt that’s going to be happening with Black Rose here. What I’d be most worried about are guards, assuming she has any wandering around.”

Wind Song looked thoughtful and nodded a moment later.

“Well, I guess there’s nothing for it but to give it our best. You heard Spike, if we can’t do it, nopony can.” he said.

“Somehow I still think that’s all a bunch of hooey.” Honeybell added. “But I’m still up to givin’ it our best shot.”

The others nodded and murmured their agreement as Willow and Snow Star, who knew the city best, began winding their way carefully through the rat’s nest of dilapidated buildings toward the palace, the earth ponies and pegasi following closely in their wake.

As they progressed slowly westward, the buildings gradually shifted from ruinous crumbling husks to nicer ones. By the time they neared the palace, they were made all of whitewashed stone and brick, well-kept and prosperous. The strange part, however, was the lack of lights and ponies. On the numerous occasions where the six friends had to pass by a window, they would look cautiously inside but see only darkness behind the thin panes of wavy glass.

The whole while, not even the sound of the wind broke the crushing silence. When at last the towers of the palace became visible, looming like sleeping giants above the roofs of the surrounding buildings, the Wind Song noticed a dim light in the distance at the end of the alley they were currently in. As it turned out, the alley opened onto the wide, well-tended street Snow Star had mentioned.

Well lit by glaring lanterns and twenty yards across, the enormous street was more like a highway. “Prance Boulevard” as the street was called, abutted directly up against a low white stone wall surrounding the palace. Beyond that, only the midsections and pinnacles of the palace buildings were visible, including the peak of the east tower that was their destination. The six ponies loomed hesitantly in the protective shadows of the buildings surrounding “Alicorn Alley”, their hearts beating in anticipation for what they knew they had to do.

Clearing the wall would be no great feat, Wind Song thought. About three yards high, the wall wasn’t really meant to be a defensive structure, but rather just a barrier to keep the palace lawns free from the noise and bustle of the city and the curious gazes of prying eyes.

Wind Song glanced several times up and down Prance Boulevard, looking for any signs of movement or occupation by Black Rose’s forces. To his amazement as well as that of Willow and Snow Star, the street seemed utterly devoid of inhabitants. They found it hard to believe that Black Rose would have marched on Canterlot without at least some sort of fighting force to subdue the royal guard. If there were any unfriendly creatures lurking about, however, they were certainly doing a good job at concealing themselves.

“I’m going to run across the street and stand by the wall.” Wind Song said conspiratorially. “Once I’m across, I need you, Moonlight, to climb on my back and look over the wall to see if anypony is there. If there is, we run right back up this alley and come up with a different plan. If it’s clear, we’ll signal for the rest of you to come over. Once all of you are over the wall, I’ll glide over and join you on the other side. From there, it looks like a pretty quick trot to the east tower.”

In gratifyingly short order, the others nodded their consent. At this, Wind Song turned back toward the street, looked both ways, and with a gulp of nervousness, stepped out into the light of the street lamps. As he crossed, he was especially careful to step as quietly as possible in order to avoid creating noise with his hooves.

A short while later, he drew up against the wall on the opposite side and signaled to Moonlight to join him. As the pegasus mare met with Wind Song, she stepped up onto his back. Wind Song winced as one of Moonlight’s hooves jabbed his spine. She peered carefully over the wall, looking first left then right before stepping down and whispering something in Wind Song’s ear. Wind Song signaled to the others who, after one last glance up and down the Prance Boulevard, stepped out single file and began the long crossing.

Willow, Snow Star, Honeybell, and Orange Blossom were only about half way across the street when three unicorns, arrayed in black armor, walked brazenly out onto the street from a side alley a short way up Prance Boulevard. The four ponies froze in place as the three unicorn guards, whose attention seemed to be occupied by a scroll held in the lead pony’s fetlock, had turned away from them and began plodding slowly up the street away from the six friends, talking loudly all the while.

After the guards disappeared around the corner, Willow, Snow Star, Honeybell, and Orange Blossom hurried across the remainder of the street and, using Wind Song’s back as a step, leapt silently over the top of the wall and landed on the lawn on the other side. With one last look around, Wind Song broke into a canter, just fast enough to get some air under his wings, and glided over the wall to join his friends.

As Wind Song’s hooves met the cool dew-laden grass of the palace lawn, he noticed that it was far darker than the street on the other side of the wall, lit only by a few icy blue lamps which followed a narrow stone path straight up to the base of the eastern tower. From the sole door at the base of this smaller tower emanated the warm glow of candlelight. The great stained glass window of the throne room and great hall as well as the small square windows in the five remaining towers were dark.

Although he saw no movement, Wind Song felt like he was being watched. The dark empty windows of the towers which loomed threateningly before him looked like many-eyed creatures, looking dispassionately down at the approach of him and his friends. He confided his fears to Moonlight who nodded in agreement and gave the grand edifices an uncomfortable glance.

The easternmost tower, the one which they sincerely hoped held the secret to end the reign of Black Rose, was gratifyingly close and did not require them to pass any of the other buildings. As the six ponies approached this tower, their hoofsteps made surprisingly little noise in the lush grass. They stayed just beyond the edge of the blue lamps’ cold light, approaching the lit doorway from the side.

It was Wind Song who first peered through the doorway and into the little room at the base of the tower. The perfectly round room was only about eight or nine yards across with a round, ornately decorated carpet at its center. On that carpet rested a small square table made of dark wood and polished to a mirror finish. Wind Song noticed a large brown leather tome, bound in brass, sitting on the center of the table next to a single glowing taper. On the opposite side of the room, a narrow stone staircase wound its way about the circumference of the tower and vanished into blackness as it spiralled out of sight. Aside from those few things, the room was completely empty.

Wind Song felt a somepony tap his flank. He whirled around and saw Moonlight looking at him nervously, one hoof still held about chest level. The others, who stood behind her, merely looked curious.

“There’s something wrong, Windy. I’ve got a bad feeling about this.” Moonlight whispered quietly.

“I don’t like it any more than you do, Moonlight.” Wind Song replied. “We’ve got to do this though.”

“That’s not what I mean. I mean, something’s wrong. This is too easy. And where is everypony?”

“I’m not sure. But if we don’t figure this out soon we might as well not have come at all.”

“Hey!” Honeybell’s louder whisper came from behind Moonlight. “What’s the holdup?”

In unison, Wind Song and Moonlight glared at Honeybell and put one hoof to their lips.

Wind Song rolled his eyes, turned quietly back toward the room, and stepped forward into the candlelight. No shouts or sound of alarm rang out as Wind Song crossed the small room and stood examining the table. By now the others had joined him. They made their way cautiously around the room, searching carefully for any hidden doors or levers that might lead to the secret room Spike had told them about.

“Couldn’t Spike have at least given us more information on what to do once we got here?” complained Snow Star as the six ponies drew together around the table.

“Maybe he didn’t know himself.” Wind Song said, examining the large leather volume on the table.

Though no words graced the smooth leather surface of the cover, the bust of an ornate gold filigree unicorn was emblazoned at its center, gazing out at the six ponies through a single glowing emerald eye. The creature almost seemed to be alive. Wind Song looked at it intently for a moment, then gently turned to the first page of the book.

“The Legends of Equestria” the first page read in large elaborately inked characters. The other five ponies looked at the book curiously as Wind Song flipped idly through the pages. He knew what this book was. It was the history of Equestria, starting with the reign of Celestia and Luna and ending a number of years after Princess Twilight’s ascension to the throne. These were the stories he had read time and time again in school when he was just a foal. He knew the stories almost word for word and recognized many of them at a glance as he turned the pages.

He was about to close the book when a light breeze blew in through the doorway, flipping the last few pages. Stuck to the inside of the book’s back cover was a photo of Princess Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Rarity, standing before a gorgeous sunset. While Twilight looked to be in her prime, her five friends appeared to be fairly old. Their hair had lost some of its former brilliance and, in the case of Rarity, streaks of grey were mixed with her once entirely purple mane. Wind Song stared at the picture.

“Or…” Wind Song said slowly. “Maybe he did tell us.”

Wind Song closed the volume and carefully flipped it back over so its front cover was again visible. Experimentally, he placed one hoof on the book’s cover, just under the golden unicorn’s chin. The glow of the unicorn’s emerald eye, which Wind Song had initially taken to be a trick of the candlelight, grew perceptibly brighter.

Wind Song looked up at his friends who were still staring at the book.

“Spike said it would take all six of us to do this.” Wind Song said solemnly.

Moonlight reached forward tentatively and also placed one hoof on the cover, next to Wind Song’s own. Again, the emerald seemed to glow even brighter.

A few seconds later, four more hooves joined Moonlight’s and Wind Song’s on the cover of the book. As Orange Blossom’s hoof made contact with the worn leather, the floor seemed to jolt beneath the six friends. A grating sound came from beneath them as the entire floor of the tower began to rotate slowly clockwise. As it rotated, a line of oblong stones which ringed the outer portion of the room began to sink into the floor, creating a stone staircase leading downward.

After about twenty seconds, the movement abruptly ceased, nearly knocking the six ponies to the ground, and all was once again silent. They looked at each other, hearts pounding with anticipation they turned toward the first stone step.

“All six of us, he said.” Willow whispered.

The others nodded as Willow stepped forward, leading the way carefully down the stairs. What met them when they reached the bottom a short while later was a round room far wider than the one above. They were surrounded by books. Shelves upon shelves ringed the wall from floor to ceiling, playing host to works scarcely thicker than a golden bit to huge tomes as thick as a pony’s neck. Around them on the walls, six sapphire orbs emitted a steady blue light similar to the lamps outside the tower, mounted in six identical silver sconces.

“Oh come on!” whined Orange Blossom. “At least there was only one book upstairs.”

Willow, who had wandered up to one of the glowing sapphire orbs, lifted on hoof to the silver sconce and craned her neck for a closer look.

“Even for six ponies, this is a lot of books to look through.” Moonlight added skeptically. “It could take weeks to skim even the hundredth part of these.”

Snow Star had joined Willow by the sapphire orb and the two unicorns were making their way over toward the second one when Honeybell said with exasperation, “I hope you two are enjoyin’ the decor!”

Willow and Snow Star seemed not to hear her as Willow reached up to one of the silver sconces and gave it a tug with one leg. Instantly, a faint clinking of metal, something like a chain rattling, seemed to come from the walls around them.

“Actually, we’ve been busy putting two and two together.” Willow said with pardonable smugness as she moved to the next sconce and made to pull it as well.

Just before she pulled the second, however, the clanking stopped.

“Exactly what I thought.” Willow said, looking at Snow Star, who nodded in reply. “All of you grab a sconce, but don’t pull it until I tell you to.”

A few moments of bustling about saw all six ponies standing before a sconce of their own. Like the emerald in the unicorn’s eye from the book, the sapphire orbs seemed to glow just a bit brighter as their respective ponies drew near.

Once they were all in place, Willow called out, “Now!”

At the same time, all six ponies pulled on a sconce. Instead of the expected grinding of stone or secret passage appearing, however, the orbs suddenly went black, engulfing them in total darkness. The light from the room above was no longer visible for some reason and the crushing darkness seemed almost tangible.

Then, at the middle of the room, a dim purple glow came into being, growing gradually like a flame and casting the room in a hazy violet radiance. They were no longer in the library, but an unknown hexagonal chamber whose smooth walls glistened as though encrusted with tiny diamonds and the ceiling was lost in darkness.

Wind Song looked about him and saw that his five friends were still in the same positions they had been when they had pulled their sconces and were looking at one another, wide-eyed. The purple light continued to grow until it finally coalesced into the shape of a pony. A unicorn.

To their utter astonishment, before the six friends stood none other than Twilight Sparkle. However, it was not the alicorn princess Twilight they knew, but Twilight as she had been the day she left Canterlot for Ponyville.

Not knowing what else to do, the six ponies dropped forward into a low bow before the spectre of their princess. They held this position for several moments before the glistening image spoke.

“You can all stand at ease. I’m not the princess, but rather a shadow of her consciousness concealed here by her. She gave much of herself to put me here. I must assume by your presence here that Rose Bud has defeated me and is planning to take over all Equestria?”

“That she has.” Snow Star said sadly as the six ponies stood again. “She plans to harvest the magical energy from ponies and use it to conquer the rest of the world.”

The shadow of Twilight looked surprised at this statement.

“This is far worse than I’d imagined.” she said. “If that’s the case, then it’s more important than ever that we set about defeating her immediately.”

Willow asked hesitantly, “Then in that case, what are you here for?”

The spectral image smiled and replied, “To aid in the protection of Equestria’s last hope for salvation: you.”

“I still don’t understand.” Wind Song said. “What does all of this have to do with us?”

The spirit Twilight responded hesitantly, as though contemplating how much she could tell them, “I can’t tell you everything right now, Wind Song. If Rose Bud manages to capture you and steal my plan from your memories, there will never be another chance to save Equestria.”

The image of Twilight began to walk about the room, looking at each of the six ponies in turn before continuing, “What I can tell you, however, is this. If my physical self was to be captured by Rose Bud, or Black Rose as she calls herself now, my five sisters were to flee to the far ends of the world and wait for you six to find them and bring them together at a place only they know about.”

Wind Song sighed. All this time, he and his five friends had been hoping for some kind of explanation; something that explained why they had been dragged into this. He would have argued for further information, but he could see the resolve in the creature’s expression, and so he held his peace.

“Where can we find them?” Wind Song asked resignedly.

The spirit Twilight seemed to stare at something the others could not see. Her eyes went momentarily wide, then she turned to face the center of the room. A glowing aura issued from her horn, seemingly without effort and three small scrolls appeared.

“These scrolls” she began. “Will lead you to the rest of the council. Where the scrolls fail, remember one thing: Follow your hearts. Once you find the council, follow them and trust their judgement. They will lead you and all of Equestria to victory against Black Rose.”

Twilight turned and stepped toward the two pegasi.

“Moonlight Whisper and Wind Song.” she said. “To you I entrust the task of seeking out Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.”

She levitated one of the scrolls, a swirling mix of sky blue and butter yellow, to Wind Song who reached out and plucked it from the air with one fetlock. Twilight then turned to Honeybell and Orange Blossom.

“To you, the earth ponies,” Twilight said. “I entrust the finding of Pinkie Pie and Applejack.”

Honeybell received a scroll the color of burnt umber as Twilight turned to the pair of unicorns.

“And to you, my friends, I entrust the finding of Rarity.”

Willow attempted to catch the white and purple scroll in her own magic, but the aura of light around her horn flickered and died. As the little roll of parchment fell to the floor, Snow Star added his strength to Willow’s and, together, they caught it and held it before them.

“And now, my dear friends, I wish you the best of luck.” Twilight said seriously. “Be swift and be secret. Black Rose has servants all over Equestria in the most unlooked for places, but don’t allow the difficulties of the road ahead to deter you from the path to victory. May the wind always rise under your wings.”

Without another word, the spirit turned its head skyward and, in a flash of light, vanished.

The six ponies were once again in the secret library under the east tower. They stood still for a moment, dumbfounded at the dizzying experience they had just endured.

“Well, I guess we should get going.” Wind Song said aloud, looking down at the scroll he held. “We wouldn’t want to be caught dow-”

A sharp pain in the right side of his skull interrupted this final sentence. The pegasus didn’t even have time to be surprised as he saw a flash of blue and his vision went suddenly black and he collapsed, insensate.

Author's Note

The Thorn of Equestria - Chapter 11

The Thorn of Equestria

Chapter 11

By Wind Song

REVISED 21DEC20