The Golden Trail

Twilight flopped bonelessly into her throne, an exhausted sigh falling past her lips, the previous day's events weighing heavily on her mind like a sheet of lead.

Thirty minutes.

It took her and Spider thirty minutes to use the map to find Gold. It took even less time to catch her, but that didn't make the whole situation better. Spider was badly injured by a pack of timberwolves that happened to be prowling through the orchard at the time. He managed to escape and had a spell to treat his wounds, but now needed to sleep for it to take full effect.

When Twilight put up the wall to stop Gold Vine, she panicked when the mare rammed into it. She was sure she heard something snap when she hit it. After dropping the spell, she wasted no time checking on her. Her examination was cut short when the pack came rushing towards them. Had she been even a second lower, she was sure that they both would've teleported back to her castle with some parts missing.

After helping her set up Gold Vine's cell and conjuring the binding rings for the mare, Spider begrudgingly went to sleep and left Twilight to her own devices. It was then that her friends arrived to give her their thoughts on the matter.

***

Twilight sat in her throne, confused by her friends' attitudes towards her. Applejack was absolutely seething in her seat, the doors to the room barely hanging on its hinges when she slammed them open. Pinkie was looking at her with disappointed anger, blue eyes drilling into her like a pair of nocked arrows. Rainbow's expression was completely blank, forelegs crossed as she stared at the Princess before her. Rarity was in a similar state with the only difference being that her forelegs weren't crossed and her disappointment was more openly shown. Fluttershy looked deeply saddened by the whole situation, too hurt to look up from the table towards her friend.

The pressure fueling the silence around them squeezed tighter by the second, but the one that seemed to be feeling it the most was the princess at the head of the table. Eventually, it became too much for her to bare. With a nervous breath, she finally broke it.

"What is going on? Why do you all look so..."

"Upset?" Pinkie coldly asked. "Do you really want to know?"

"Um...yes?" she nervously nodded.

The five of them, including Fluttershy, traded looks amongst themselves. A sharp look from Applejack ripped through them before she aimed it at Twilight. Said mare flinched under the fire of her friend's stare, cold dread filling her body and drying her throat.

"Ya' want ta' know?" Applejack growled, body trembling with barely contained rage. "Alright. Ah'll tell ya'. Gold's my cousin."

"She's....what?" Twilight blinked.

Applejack nodded.

"B-But that's not possible," she stammered out. "Gold was a unicorn and she came from a tribalist noble family. There's no way she could be an Apple."

"Not all of us are earth ponies," Applejack huffed. "There are a few pegasi and unicorns in our family. Gold's granny was Granny Smith's sister."

"O...Oh. I didn't know Granny Smith had a sister," Twilight frowned. "How is she?"

"Dead," the farmer flatly stated. "Granny showed me her memorial tree and death certificate a few days ago to prove it."

"I see..." she nodded, taking a mental note to check on that certificate later, just in case.

"Goldie is really fragile," Pinkie cut in, her tone somber. "She's.....She's been hurt very badly in the past and is trying really hard to be better."

"She's right," Applejack jumped back in, some of her anger bleeding out as she frowned at the map table. "When she told us about what she did and what happened to her, she nearly fell ta' pieces."

Twilight balked at that.

"She told you?"

Applejack nodded.

"She told all of us," Fluttershy whispered, still staring at the map table. "W...What happened to her; how she had to live.....it was....it was horrible."

"What that...that.... monster did to her," Rarity growled, glaring a hole through the image of Canterlot on the map. "I do not know what I would do to her if I found her, but I know it would not be pleasant."

"Yeah," Rainbow bitterly snorted. "I mean, she was hurt so bad by that horse that she's got a frick'n magic phobia."

"She does?" she asked, worry slowly forming a stone in her gut. "How bad is it?"

"Bad enough for her to encase herself in iron over a simple slip of the tongue," Rarity sighed.

"She....did what?" Twilight blinked.

"It probably has to do Discord's magic," Fluttershy offered.

"And whatever crazy shit Moonstone put her through," Rainbow spat.

"What do you mean, Discord's magic?" Twilight asked.

Fluttershy looked up at her, the sadness behind those teal orbs almost crushing Twilight's heart.

"When I met her the first time, I could see signs of Discords magic on her. When I asked her about it, she told me...why he cursed her."

"What kind of curse did he put on her?" she asked, leaning forward in her seat a bit. "Is that why she's an earth pony now?"

She nodded, then firmly stated, "I promised not to tell anypony about how the curse works. If you want to know more about it, you will need to ask her or Discord directly."

"O-Okay," Twilight nervously nodded, very quickly taken aback by the shy pegasus's conviction. "Does anypony else know about this curse?"

They all nodded somberly, adding to the guilt that started to eat at her. Forcing that to the back of her mind, she tried to get a better grasp on the situation. As open as she was to others making a change for the better, she just couldn't bring herself to believe that the same mare that tried to kill two of her friends could've gone through such a drastic shift in character. At the same time, she could see that all of her friends where one hundred percent sincere in their assessments. Even apparently knowing what she had done in the past, they still accepted her for the mare she had become. Could it be possible? Could a pony like Gold Vine change so much in so little time?

Taking a deep breath, Twilight decided that, maybe, it was time that she heard just what kind of pony Gold had become. With a bit of nerves shaking her tone, she asked one question.

"Would...Would you all tell me about her?"

All of the tension slowly bled out of the room, small smiles slowly forming on the muzzles of each of her friends. Then, one by one, they all told Twilight their own stories about the mare. With each tale that was told, Twilight's heart was warmed, but the guilt she pushed to the back of her mind continued to grow.

***

She let out a tired groan, rubbing her temples against the headache she could already feel starting to form. All of this was too much for her to handle all at once. So much so that a darker part of her wished that Gold hadn't improved herself. At least then, she wouldn't feel so bad about what she had done to her.

"At least Spike wasn't around for that," she groaned, rubbing her eyes.

"Indeed," a female voice replied.

Surprised, Twilight pulled away her hooves and opened her eyes towards the voice's source. Standing about a foot away from her and sporting a cold frown was a green unicorn mare. Twilight blinked widely at her, stunned for a moment before her brain finally booted up enough to get her mouth to work.

"Uh...who are you?"

"Manchineel Vine," she answered flatly, her tail letting out an irritated flick.

"Vine?" she frowned, already forming a battle plan. "I take it that means you're related to Gold then."

Manchineel nodded, unfazed by the metal behind the princess's stare.

"What do you want?" Twilight pressed, not taking her eyes off of the mare.

"To confirm that my granddaughter is safe," she stated, taking a few steps towards the map table. "Fortunately for you, that appears to be the case."

"Are you threat...en...ing....me?" she trailed, anger shifting to bafflement at what she was seeing.

As if it was just an illusion, she watched as Manchineel casually walked through the map table. When she made it to the opposite end of the table, she gracefully turned to face the stunned princess with cold indifference.

"No," she continued. "I am simply stating facts. Ones that, possibly, won't end with your castle being leveled to the ground."

"What are you talking about?" Twilight pressed, guarded, but also curious by the odd mare's words.

Instead of answering, Manchineel shifted her gaze up towards the root chandelier hanging above the table.

"Her teacher will be here soon," she ominously stated. "Be careful of what you say. She is not known for her forgiveness or mercy."

Seconds after she said that, Starlight teleported into the room. She frantically looked around, panicked pants flying out of her muzzle in a rapid clip. When she saw Twilight, she galloped straight towards her with a look of deep terror.

"Starlight, what-" was all Twilight could get out before Starlight cut in.

"She's coming! I-I-I tried to stop her, b-b-but she just wouldn't listen to me! I-I could only give you a day!"

"Who are you talking about?" Twilight demanded, looking back and forth between the two mares. "What's going on?!"

As if to answer her question, a heavy pressure filled the room.

A deep, primal fear froze Twilight and Starlight in place, both mares feeling like rabbits trapped in a pit with a hungry lion. The double doors to the room flew open, a loud series of thundering booms echoing through the castle as the same happened to every other door in the building. All of the windows did the same, a fierce howling wind pouring into the castle from every angle. A strong scent of wood and fur hung heavy in the room, the intense presence seeming to bare down on Twilight specifically.

Suddenly, leaves, branches, and other large pieces of wood flew into the room, all of them riding the gales as if a tornado had been summoned. When the mass of foliage had grown thick, a dark green aura coated it and it all started to shape itself. She watched in fascinated horror as, little by little, the mass took on the shape of a massive wolf.

Gaia stared down at her, green glowing eyes burning bright like a pair of emerald flames. The spirit towered over her, back arched and ready to pounce with her muzzle a mere foot away from Twilight's head. A fierce growl shook the room, Gaia's fangs bared with murderous intent.

Terror and awe filled Twilight, the spirit's gaze almost holding her in a trance. The spell was broken when Gaia spoke, her growling voice shaking her down to her soul.

"Where. Is. She."

Twilight opened her mouth to answer, but her tongue refused to work. She tried several more times to find her voice, but fear kept it in a vice-like grip. By the tenth attempt, she could see Gaia's patience turn thin. Before it completely ran out, Manchineel stepped up to Twilight's side.

"Gold is safe, m'lady," she calmly smiled, kneeling to the raging spirit with casual grace. "She is in a room above us in a containment barrier. She will not be able to leave, but nothing will come to harm her either."

"Are you certain?" Gaia demanded, her posture relaxing the second she stared down upon the mare.

Manchineel nodded.

"I examined it very thoroughly."

"I see," she nodded, settling down to her haunches as she aimed a cold glare down at the princess. "And her companion?"

"Probably awake now, but he seemed far too injured to be a threat," she shrugged.

Gaia snorted, still keeping Twilight in her line of sight.

"Good. After what he did to my daughter and the rest of her pack, I'm glad to know that he is at least mending."

The second she fell out from under the spirit's rage, frantic gasps fell out of Twilight's muzzle. She was slumped forward in her seat, whole body shaking and eyes wide. Starlight ran to her side frantically checking to see if her friend and mentor was alright. Manchineel and Gaia watched her with cold disinterest, patiently waiting for her to recover.

When she did, she shakily managed to force out a question.

"Who...W-What are you?"

Gaia glared at her for a moment, then coldly said, "I am Gaia Everfree, the Spirit of Nature, Guardian of Sweet Apple Acres, and teacher of Gold Vine Apple."

"T-Teacher?" Twilight gaped. "Wait, are you the one that taught Gold how to talk to trees?"

"That is none of your business," she snapped, slamming a massive paw into the ground. "Tell me why you captured my student! What are your intentions?!"

Twilight wilted under the spirit's ire, but slowly regained her composure. The tragedy at the orphanage flashed to the front of her mind. The photos of the torture chambers at Moonstone's manor came to her like a sudden slap to the face. Her friends' stories echoed in her ears with the grace of a battle hymn. All of it gave her the fire she needed to meet Gaia's glare with one of her own. Not one of anger, but of resolution.

Eyes locked with spirit's, she gave her answer.

"I want to protect her."

***

Moonstone paced, hoofsteps echoing off of the cave walls while she thought. For days, things had been going relatively well for her. While it was a slow process, what few animals wandered into her tunnel system gave her enough blood to replenish her lost strength. More would be needed if she wanted to enact her revenge, but that became especially apparent with the sudden shift things had taken.

Had Gold remained in the care of the worthless farmers, she would've only needed a week to take her back. Then Princess Twilight Sparkle stuck her hoof in the matter. Worse yet, she also brought that repulsive cheshire that landed her in this state in the first place.

She should've felt angry, furious even, but while she continued to pace the cave room, only a mild disappointment hung on her frame.

"Damn...it...all," she groaned, falling to her haunches with a hollow sigh. "Now I will need to find something else to kill time. Why must things become more complicated?"

"Must you whine, mare?" Bloodstone grumbled. "Just shut up and gather strength. There is nothing else we can do, so do the world a favor and silence yourself."

"Why don't you do it first?" she snapped. "I have been trapped in this cave for weeks scrounging on scraps and draining vermin. The closest thing to amusement I had was watching Gold's foolish life, but now even that has been denied to me. This sickening boredom. It. Is. TORTURE!"

"And your whining is no better," Bloodstone grumbled. "Shall I seal your mouth shut?"

"Do it, and I'll bite off my tongue to spite you," she snapped.

the demon let out bitter growl, hating the idea of wasting perfectly good blood on something so stupid. The worst part was that he knew that it was no empty threat. After all, if the Stone Family was known for anything, it was their spite. Pushing the pride he felt over that aside, he tried to think of a way to keep his hostess stimulated. With a princess and Luna's assistant so close, it would be unwise to make their presence known in the area. In addition, the animals in the area had started to avoid their cave. He hated to admit it, but it probably best that they try to find some other place to take shelter in.

"Perhaps a change in scenery would do us some good," he admitted.

"Obviously," she huffed, rolling her eyes. "Shall we enter town?"

"Absolutely not," he growled. "Stupid cow, does your brain even work?!"

"You-" she growled back, only for her jaw to suddenly snap shut on its own.

"Silence!" he barked, then in a more relaxed tone said, "Now, to get the power we need and keep you entertained, we will need to put some distance between us and this mud horse hamlet. We will not be able to watch our target for some time, but that will have to be a small price to pay."

Testing her jaw, she opened it to give a clipped opinion on the matter.

"Very well. Where do you have in mind?"

"Someplace far enough outside of the Princess's reach that we can hunt and have prey worthy of our goals."

"Are you sure?" she asked, raising a brow.

"You dare to doubt me?" he snapped. "Impudent mare. Just hold your tongue and do as you are told!"

"Whatever," she snorted. "If it allows me to gain the power needed to end that cow, then I do not care where we go."

Good," he huffed. "Now, let us begin."

With no further warning, a sharp burning pain ran through Moonstone's body. Agonized breaths fell out of her, her face a twisted mask of pain. Blood started to well up all across her body, pooling up from the pours of her skin. More of it gushed out of her mouth, eyes, ears, and rear, forming a thick red puddle on the cave floor. Before it became too much for her to bare, the flow and pain came to a sudden end. Panting, she watched the blood slither and shift across the cave floor, the magic fused into it filling the room with a sinister crimson light. The light grew in intensity as the blood slowly shifted into more and more intricate patterns. Before it could become too bright for her to see, the blood finished its work, forming into a massive magic circle that covered the entire cave floor.

"W-Was that really necessary?" she demanded, glaring at the ground.

"Silence, mare" he snorted. "Now, be ready."

Biting back a few choice words, she grit her teeth and nodded.

With a blinding flash of light, the magic circle activated. A second later, the chamber was empty, save for the smell of sulfur and copper. That, and the chill of the twisted magic that tainted the space to its core.