In Pursuit of...

Chapter 18: At the Gala… Again

After about half an hour of listening to Mecha’s plan, Nimbus, Mecha, and Rainbow Dash were called over to the sewing machine by Rarity.

“I have your outfits,” she said, pleased with herself. Nimbus cocked an eyebrow and looked at Mecha again.

“So, just to refresh here, the plan is to infiltrate this ball and find a way to get Eclipse alone?”

“Eeyup,” Mecha nodded.

“Nimbus threw his front hooves up in the air. “How do you make this thing sound so simple? We are going to be facing certain death at the hooves of either Eclipse or his brainwashed citizens, and you just act like it’s a normal day!”

“That's 'cause it is a normal day,” Mecha said, staring at Nimbus.

Nimbus sighed. “Disregard that outburst. I’m sure we’ll be fine. I’m just a tad stressed, that’s all.” He twitched nervously, knocking over a nearby table with smithing tools on it. Nimbus cringed as the heavy objects fell to the floor, creating a loud clatter. Mecha simply smiled.

“I’ll just pick that up,” he said, realizing that this was probably the first time Nimbus would be facing death in his career.

“Honestly, how am I supposed to get anything done if you keep distracting everyone!” Rarity said, to both Mecha and Nimbus. “Come over here! We don’t have all night!”

“Well actually, we do,” Nimbus quipped. “See, Eclipse pretty much just set in motion Night Eternal, so…”

Rarity growled in response.

“Okay, I’m coming! Sheesh!” Nimbus said.

As he approached, Rarity held up a black blazer, with embroidered silver accents on the cuffs. “This is yours.”

Nimbus’s jaw went slack. He’d never seen anything like the suit before. It was amazing. He didn’t think it was possible to be more amazed, until Rarity carefully rolled up the cuffs to show him what was inside. Mecha had apparently managed to craft a small set of sheathes, which Rarity had sewn into the blazer’s internal lining.

“Try it on!” Rarity said.

“Th- thanks!” Nimbus stammered, “this is awesome!” He galloped off into another room to try on the masterpiece as Rainbow Dash stepped forward.

“I hope it’s not something overly… you know… flowery,” Rainbow Dash said to Rarity. Rarity simply smiled in response, pulling out a dress Mecha could only describe as a tangible rainbow. From every angle, the dress caught and reflected light in different colors, creating a vibrant display. At the bottom of the dress, the edges were made up of overlapping flaps, meant to symbolize feathers. Inside the sleeves, like Nimbus’s suit, were sheathes, ready to be deployed. Rainbow Dash was awestruck. So, in fact, was Nimbus when he entered the room with his new attire.

“Whoa!” Nimbus said, almost walking right into an anvil as he admired Rarity’s handiwork.

Rainbow Dash turned around. “It’s awesome, isn’t it?” she said. Then she saw Nimbus in his outfit and froze. He looked extremely sharp, and Rainbow Dash once again got the feeling that there was definitely something more about him that she had yet to find out.

“Yours is pretty okay, too!” she said finally. Nimbus smiled.

“Thanks.”

“Oh good grief,” Mecha said, trotting over to Rarity, “let’s see what you’ve got for me before this turns romantic.”

Nimbus and Rainbow Dash looked at each other with a look of complete disgust.

“What? No way!” Rainbow Dash said. “That’s never gonna happen.”

Mecha chuckled. “Well, that’s what you say now…” He turned to Rarity, who pulled out a velvety, black cloak, with a thin strip of maroon lining the bottom. Mecha was impressed.

“Very nice work, Rarity,” he said, taking the cloak and looking at the inside. There was a built-in sheath for a short sword inside.

“Wait, I don’t get my usual sword?”

“Not unless you want it to look like there’s a sword growing out of your back when you’re wearing that,” Rarity said, lifting her dress up and looking at it- a red and gold gown and a large, matching headdress covered in frills. Framing the ornate hat was a thin, sharp strip of metal.

“Interesting,” said Mecha, looking at the dress, “where’s your weapon?”

Without speaking, Rarity removed the metal strip, which immediately snapped into a straight, thin sword.

“Ah, one of my rapiers-“ Mecha said, “flexible but deadly. Very clever.”

“Thank you,” said Rarity. “I hope you don’t mind if I borrow it for a little while.”

Mecha shrugged. “Certainly not. Whatever it takes.”

Rarity slid the rapier back into place. “Now, then- I believe we have a date at Canterlot palace.”

“We do indeed,” Mecha agreed, “and we wouldn’t want to keep Eclipse waiting.”

…

Eclipse stood over the “festivities” below. All of Canterlot’s residents- including those who had been staying in Canterlot for the Gala days ago- were there, all standing around and staring blankly. Eclipse frowned.

“This Gala needs something else- some socialization, I think.” He blinked once, and slowly, the ponies below began speaking to one another in monotone, still staring off into space.

“Perfect,” Eclipse said, gleeful. He made sure everything was fine, then disappeared in a blue flash, reappearing in the caves below Canterlot. He checked his surroundings, then moved forward, entering a dark tunnel. Ahead, a faint blue light pulsed gently. As Eclipse neared, the light took shape. It was a dome, and inside was Princess Celestia. The regal Alicorn looked up as Eclipse approached.

“You have no idea what you’re bringing upon yourself,” Celestia growled. “The bearers of the Elements of Harmony will stop you.”

Eclipse laughed, a cold, hissing sound. “Most amusing, Princess, but a tad melodramatic- and untimely. You see, the bearers are dead.”

“Dead?” Celestia gasped, “you’re lying!”

“Now why would I lie to royalty?” Eclipse said, conjuring up a glowing, blue portal. Inside, an image took shape. It was Skywatch Tower.

“Your ponies thought they could find the Unifier here,” Eclipse said, “but fate was not on their side.”

In the image, the magical field collapsed, crushing everything contained in it. Celestia’s eyes widened in horror.

“No,” she whispered. “You monster-“

“On the contrary,” Eclipse said, “their deaths were necessary. Look at your citizens- there is no discontent, no violence, no sorrow- they are finally free.”

“That may be, but they also cannot love, you’ve removed the idea of friendship of their minds, and they will never respect you.”

“But they will obey me,” Eclipse said, “they will do whatever I ask of them with unswerving loyalty. That is all I need.”

“This condition you’ve created is not loyalty,” Celestia countered. “You’ve made everypony unable to think for him or herself.”

Eclipse snorted. “Well, I’d love to stay and talk about friendship, dear Princess, but I have a ball to attend. Goodbye.”

Eclipse turned and walked away, leaving Celestia alone again with her thoughts. The six bearers of the Elements of Harmony- dead? Along with the EAF flyer and Mecha? She didn’t know what to think. She closed her eyes, shutting out the world around her, then stopped. She couldn’t give in. Eclipse had to be lying. Twilight Sparkle, for example, was much too smart to fall into a trap like a collapsing magical field. Celestia sat up, determined now. She would see this through, and she alone would continue hoping for the return of her loyal subjects.

…

“You sure the Elements are in here?” Applejack asked Spike as the group stood at the entrance to a gaping, dark cave.

“This is it,” Spike said, “but… it didn’t look quite so scary last time.”

“These are the Canterlot Caves,” said Twilight, “I’ve been here before. Follow me!”

“Are you kidding?” Applejack countered, “there’s no way that can be safe!”

Twilight looked her friend in the eyes. “Trust me, Applejack. We need to go this way.”

Applejack sighed and looked back at the cave. “Well, alright then. Still, if anything jumps me in there-“

“You’ll be fine,” Twilight promised, now turning to Spike. “Spike, can you show us the rest of the way?”

“I’ll see what I can do,” he said, walking into the cave. “Let’s get this over with.”

Fluttershy, Twilight, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie followed Spike into the cave. Twilight provided light with her horn, but the darkness was still unnerving. At this point, no one knew exactly what to expect around each turn. Pinkie, to her credit, was at least keeping quiet. Even she understood the gravity of the situation at hand. The Elements of Harmony had to be recovered. What fate should befall Equestria if they weren’t found, no one cared to think of. With this in mind, they pressed on through the darkness, wondering how well their cohorts were doing on the surface.

…

Nimbus and the gang, in all honesty, had done rather well so far. No guards had been posted outside the palace, and they’d found their way into the ballroom quite easily. When they’d managed to slip inside, Nimbus decided to ask Mecha why the “Gala” was displaying such a lack of security.

“What does Eclipse have to fear now?” Mecha answered, “for all he knows, we’re dead.”

Nimbus shrugged. “Good point. Still, let’s try to keep a low profile in here.”

“So what’s our game plan?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Simple,” Mecha answered, “the four of us will split up and try to get close enough to Eclipse to see if it’s possible to get that Unifier away from him. Think of it as an intelligence-gathering mission.”

Rarity rolled her eyes. “If that’s what you’d like to call it, then so be it. I prefer to think of it as a noble undertaking, with the intent of saving Equestria once and for all.”

Mecha, Nimbus, and Rainbow Dash exchanged glances. “Okay then,” Rainbow Dash sighed, “call it what you will. Let’s just get out there.”

“Remember,” Mecha said, “blend. If you’re not doing what everypony else is doing, you’ll stick out like a sore hoof.”

“Right,” Nimbus said, “we’ll meet back at the palace entrance in an hour. Good luck.”

Nimbus split off, walking through the crowd. For the moment, everyone was simply standing and moving slowly from place to place. He tried imitating the blank, brainwashed stares of those around him, as well as their jerky, slow gait. He made his way over to the refreshment table, checking for any sign of Eclipse. Strangely, the Alicorn was nowhere in sight. Nimbus grabbed a glass of punch and downed it quickly. How were they supposed to find out about Eclipse if the guy wasn’t even there? He groaned and pushed farther into the crowd, spotting Mecha a few feet away. The pony appeared to be smiling. Nimbus smacked himself in the face with his hoof as stealthily as possible. Mecha would be the only one to enjoy this. He had to wonder what drove that pony. Ex- scout, defender of Ponyville, blacksmith, tinkerer- what was his secret? Nimbus shook his head, going about his work. Maybe he’d never know. All he knew for now was that distractions were the last thing he needed. He merged into the crowd- just another face in the mind-controlled mass.

…

“Hold up!” Twilight whispered, lifting a hoof as a signal for everyone to be silent. Ahead, she could hear hoofsteps approaching. Quickly, the group ducked behind a boulder. Twilight peered out slowly, trying to determine the identity of the intruder. The hoofsteps became louder and louder, until finally it seemed they were right on top of the hidden ponies and dragon. Then they stopped. Applejack breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed, accidentally knocking a few loose stones free. The noise seemed painfully loud, and Twilight winced. Suddenly, the cavern ahead lit up with an eerie blue light, as a very familiar face came around the corner: Eclipse.

Fluttershy gasped, and Applejack hauled her back and covered her mouth just as Eclipse turned towards the sound. He approached slowly, taking his time.

“Come on,” Twilight thought, “just leave!”  As if sensing her thoughts, Eclipse turned away, finally. With a flash of blue, he disappeared.

“He’s gone,” Twilight said, “that was a teleportation spell. I’d recognize it anywhere.”

“Well couldn’t we just teleport to the Elements?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“I wish it was that simple,” Twilight answered, “but I don’t know the layout of these caves well- I mean, I’ve only been here once. The risks outweigh the benefits. The last thing we want is to teleport into solid dirt.”

Spike shuddered. “You’re definitely right about that. Come on, I think we’re almost there.” He led them towards the corner Eclipse had turned. After the corner was a long, dark, straight tunnel, and at the end of it-

“Oh no,” Twilight gasped, “please don’t tell me that’s what I think it is!”

Sitting at the tunnel’s end was a blue dome, with what appeared to be somepony trapped inside. Twilight wasn’t certain who it was, but she had a bad feeling.

“Come on, girls!” she said, taking off at a gallop. The others followed, worried by Twilight’s sudden, frantic behavior. As they drew closer to the dome, however, they understood why she was acting the way she was. As the figure finally came into view, Twilight stopped sharply, almost tripping everyone behind her. She said nothing. Instead, she simply stared.

“Equestria preserve me,” Applejack whispered, looking at the once majestic pony inside the dome, “it’s Princess Celestia!”

…

Aboveground, Eclipse teleported back into the ballroom, taking his normal place at the head of the room. Nothing seemed amiss, but one could never be too careful. Deciding he wanted a change in scenery, Eclipse made an announcement.

“Ponies, it is now time to commence tonight’s dance. Maestro?”

He looked over to a white pony with a blue mane sitting at a speaker system. Without a word, the pony slipped a record onto the turntable, and the sounds of classical strings filled the hall. Awkwardly, the crowd began dancing. Eclipse smiled. Everything was so much simpler this way, even if Celestia couldn’t see it. He finally took a seat on a velvet couch nearby, surrounded by two guards. What better way to celebrate his victory than a little relaxation? His opposition was gone, Equestria was his, and so was the Unifier. What could possibly go wrong now?

Nimbus heard Eclipse’s orders, and promptly began to mimic the ponies around him. He had to admit- he’d never been much for dancing, but tonight that particular skill was of value. Nimbus swirled through the throngs of mindless ponies, making his way to the balconies on the side of the room while trying to look inconspicuous. If he could get to the balcony, he would be out of Eclipse’s sight, and could take a quick break. The journey was slow, but Nimbus managed to hide behind a couple, who danced over to the balcony closest to the ballroom’s entrance. Nimbus used them for cover for as long as he could, then dashed outside, leaning up against the balcony’s edge and applauding his evasion skills internally. Some ponies like Mecha were more cut out for this than others, it seemed. Turning his head, Nimbus caught a glimpse of blue on the balcony beside his. It seemed Rainbow Dash had had the same idea as he did.

He saw Rainbow Dash looking out over Canterlot, and the rest of Equestria with a look of longing. Nimbus knew how she felt. Dash was a free spirit, longing for adventure, fun, and excitement. Seeing Canterlot, and indeed Equestria, devoid of all the liveliness it once possessed would have to be hard on such a pony. Suddenly, Nimbus had the urge to walk up to her and ask for a dance. He didn’t know why, but it just seemed like the natural thing to do. He was on the verge of acting, when he decided against it. Not tonight. He turned around, and hung his head in shame at what he could only call his own cowardice, and walked back inside, merging back into the crowd.

Inside, Rarity was attempting to engage in small talk with a brainwashed Photo Finish, realizing that this would more than likely be the only chance she’d get to do so in her lifetime, when she saw… them.

“I will destroy Pinkie Pie,” she muttered, seeing the ball’s new visitors. Cruising through the crowd, like Timberwolves on the hunt, was Pinkie Pie’s documentary crew. Rarity ducked, trying to make herself invisible, but being discovered by the camera-happy ponies was now the very least of her concerns, because Eclipse was naturally curious as to why several decidedly not brainwashed ponies had shown up at his gala of their own free will toting cameras and recording equipment.

Then the horse apples really hit the fan.

Things happened quickly. Eclipse called out for a halt to all dancing just as four of the ballroom’s glass skylights shattered and four fillies swung in on ropes, landing right in the center of the room. Rarity almost fainted then and there when she saw who they were. The ponies were a tad dirty, true, and they’d all apparently painted war lines under their eyes, and they wore headbands of different sizes and colors, but there was no mistaking them. They were Ponyville’s Cutie Mark Crusaders, as well as Mecha’s adopted daughter: Sugary Spice.

For a moment, the room was dead silent. Then Eclipse spoke.

“Who are you?” he asked menacingly.

“We’re the Cutie Mark Resistance,” a pony Rarity recognized as her sister, Sweetie Belle, said, “and we’re here to earn our Cutie Marks by kicking your tail out of Equestria!”