One Way or The Other

Chapter 4: Power from Deep Within

  “Tia,” Princess Luna said as Celestia came out of the guest suite. “How is Wired Fix doing? He’s been here for so long, I’m starting to get really worried if I’ll have to tell the young fillies the story nopony likes.”

  Celestia sighed and looked at her sister. There was a tear in the corner of her eye, sparkling like the world’s most perfect diamond. Such tears coming from the princess’ eyes could only mean one thing.

  “Luna…” she started before taking a deep breath. “There is something much worse present. This isn’t just involving Wired Fix.”

  She turned her head towards the door.

  “What do you mean, sister?” Luna asked with a sad look on her face.

  “I don’t think it’s a mental damage, Luna,” Celestia replied, closed her eyes and lowered her head. “It might seem we’ve got a case of memory intrusion. That’s the only explanation I have for his amnesias, faints and hallucinations combined.”

  Luna put a hoof to her mouth and gasped when she heard that.

  “B-but…” Luna started. “Only one creature has had that ability, and that was many years ago! It can’t be!”

  “Luna!” Celestia yelled and put a hoof on her sister’s mouth. “I’m not certain. But we can’t oversee that option. Call the guards, we need to protect Wired Fix. I’ll send a message to Twilight Sparkle right away.”

  Princess Luna nodded and trotted away. Princess Celestia went to her room and conjured a piece of paper and a quill.

  “Twilight…” Spike sighed once again. “You have to get out and be with your friends, rather than just sitting here and worrying about Wired. Go to Sugarcube Corner, play in the Everfree Forest, whatever!”

  He sat down and put his grumpy face in his hands. He had tried for the whole morning to get Twilight out of the house so he could get some peace and quiet from her constant worrying. His scales were pale, as he hadn’t got any sleep for the last week.

  “But Spike,” Twilight said and stopped her circling around the lamp. “He could be seriously damaged! He might even be…dying..!”

  Spike rolled his eyes and banged his fist on the desk.

  “Snap out of it!” he yelled. “He’s not dying! The princess would have let you know if he was that ill!”

  Suddenly, he felt a cramp in his stomach. He felt nauseous.

  “I didn’t mean it!” he tried to say before he let out a big, flaming burp. A scroll with the royal seal appeared, but this time with red paper, contrary to the commonly used brownish paper.

  “Oh no, what could a red scroll mean?” Spike asked and started to bite his claws.

  “I don’t know,” Twilight replied and gulped. “But I am sure it isn’t good.”

  She took the scroll and undid the ribbon with her magic. She opened the scroll and started reading out loud.

“Dear Twilight Sparkle.

Your friend is getting worse every day, and I have come to a conclusion.

You and your friends have to get to Canterlot as fast as possible.

I fear we might be the victims of a grave danger, greater than what we’ve encountered before.

-Princess Celestia”

  “What did I tell you?!” Twilight yelled. “I got a reason to be worried!”

  Spike read through the letter once more before he put it down with a surprised look. He sat down on a chair and stared into thin air.

  “Twilight…” he started. “Do as the princess says and go. Get your friends and get to Canterlot. I’ll be waiting here…”

  Twilight nodded with a worried expression on her face and ran out the door.

  It didn’t take long before the group was on the train to Canterlot. Fluttershy and Rarity were sitting by the window, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash by the door, and Twilight Sparkle and Applejack in the middle, facing each other.

  “Ooh!” Pinkie said and twitched a little. “I can’t wait to get to Canterlot! I haven’t been there since the party I can’t remember if I actually was invited to, although I came after all, since I can’t resist a party, because that’s how I got my cutie mark. It wasn’t for looking at three balloons, it was for a party! Du-uh!”

  “Pinkie, dear…” Rarity interrupted politely. “You are aware of why we’re going, aren’t you? This isn’t a party invitation.”

  “Of course I do!” Pinkie replied and smiled jokingly. “You guys kept telling me that like five or six times, which I understood every time, although you kept telling me this wasn’t a party, and I know this isn’t a party, dummy.” She giggled at the end.

  Rainbow Dash couldn’t take it anymore. She flew towards the window, opened it up and threw Pinkie Pie into the pond next to Fluttershy’s cottage as they drove past it. Without saying a word, she closed the window and sat back in her seat, joining the group of sighs of pleasure.

  “Twi,” Applejack started and sat up in her seat, holding a serious expression on her face. “Ah understand how tough this is fer’ ya. Ah just want to let ya know we’re all here fer’ ya.”

  She put a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder and smiled a little, trying to cheer her up. Twilight sent a faint smile back, indicating she felt slightly better.

  Rainbow looked at Twilight, and shook her head towards the door. She wanted Twilight to go out in the corridor with her. Twilight stood up and opened the door, letting Rainbow out first, before going out and closing the door behind her.

  “What’s on your mind, Rainbow?” she asked. “Anything wrong? Or did you want to cheer me up in private?”

  Rainbow turned her head away, closing her eyes.

  “You know what’s bothering me,” she replied and shed a tear. “I told you on the train back to Ponyville. I love Fix, and this is really heavy for me.” She started whimpering as she said the last sentence, and collapsed in a great crying session.

  Twilight kneeled down next to her and gave her a big hug.

  “It’s heavy for both of us,” she said. “It’s heavy for all of us. But we’ve got to deal with it anyways. I’m sure everything will be fine in a few days. Calm down. Is there anything I can do to cheer you up? Do you want anything?”

  Rainbow wiped her tears away and looked into Twilight’s eyes. They were face to face, few inches from each other. Rainbow’s eyes were sparkly, and the dark pink was turning into a deep mix of red and purple. She smiled a little.

  “Nah, I’m fine,” she replied. “Just go back in with the others. I’ll just have a walk through the corridor.”

  “If you say so,” Twilight answered and stood up. “Don’t worry, he’ll be fine. I’m sure.”

  With that said, she turned around and went back into the coupe with the three others.

  As the train got close to Canterlot, the sound of creaking wheels and smoking pipes surprised the passengers. The train was slowing down and stopped outside the entrance, where lots of guards were on guard. The whole city was closed off by a big, red bubble.

  One of the guards started talking to the train driver as four other guards entered the train and started inspecting every coupe. When one of them arrived outside the group’s coupe, the first thing they heard was a thump, followed by a crash.

  “What in tarnation?” Applejack asked and opened the door. She gasped at the sight.

  On the floor was one of the guards lying, some bumps in the armour. Next to him stood Rainbow Dash and glared at him with a victorious smile.

  “Rainbow!” Applejack yelled and punched her. “What the hay did ya do that for?!”

  “He was going to break in and arrest you!” was Rainbow’s reply.

  Applejack rolled her eyes and waved for the three others to come out.

  “Ah am pretty sure it’s just an inspection or something,” Applejack said.

  Right after that, another guard came and saw the beat-up guard on the floor. He lifted his spear, pointed it at the group, and ordered them to lay down on the floor.

  “It was not an assault, officer,” Rarity said calmly and looked at the guard. “Rainbow here just misunderstood and thought it was an unexplained arrest order.”

  “Get out of the carriage,” the guard commanded. “You are going to be put through a control. It’s for everypony’s safety and won’t take long.”

  They followed his order and walked out of the carriage in a line. Outside the train was an outpost. A large sign read “Safety Control”. The group was led in and instructed to sit down on a chair.

  In front of them was a long table, and behind it sat three ponies dressed in green suits. They had one notebook each, and started discussing. The middle one pointed at Twilight and instructed her to come forward.

  “Twilight Sparkle,” he started. “You have been summoned by Princess Celestia, is that correct?”

  Twilight nodded and said “Yes.”

  The three ponies jotted down a few lines.

  “I’m so sorry you and your friends had to go through this trouble,” the pony to the middle one’s right said and smiled. “It’s just that we have put Canterlot under full quarantine, and we can’t let any pony in. We’re just checking for unauthorized visitors. Go on through that door to the left, a cart is waiting for you.”

  “Thank you,” Fluttershy and Rarity said. The rest just nodded.

  The whole group went through the door, and was met by a large cart, almost like a bus. In charge of the whole machinery was no other than Soarin’!

  “Get in, and we’ll be there in a minute!” Soarin’ said quickly.

  They all got in the cart, and Soarin’ drove it to the castle.

  Outside the entrance stood Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. They greeted the five ponies with a bow and led them in.

  “I’m so glad you could come on such short notice,” Princess Celestia said. “As I said in the letter, Wired Fix has been getting worse every day. I had really hoped my prediction was wrong…”

   She lowered her head as they arrived outside the bedroom Wired Fix was lying in. With a slow, but precise movement, she spelled the lock and opened the door. Inside was Wired Fix, lying in his bed.

  The whole group of fillies gasped at the sight. His golden yellow mane was turning brownish green. His white, clean coat was turning grey, with several long hairs growing out here and there. But the most terrifying part was his horn.

  The once straight, pearl-grey horn was splintered!

  “Wirey!” Rarity yelled in fear.

  The whole group ran up to his bed and flocked up around it. A ring of ten shivering eyes surrounded him.

  Twilight was the only one to turn around and look back at Celestia, who had shed more tears.

  “Princess…” Twilight started and took a few steps away from the bed. Her eyes turned from worried and broken to an expression of anger and distrust.

  “Tell us. Don’t hide it anymore, I can’t take it. WE can’t take it!”

  Luna walked in front of Twilight and looked strictly into her eyes.

  “Don’t you dare threaten my sister!” she said angrily. “After all she’s done for you!”

  “It’s not a threat, Princess Luna!” Rarity yelled. “Twilight’s right! This has been going on for too long! We demand an explanation!” She stroke Wired Fix’s ruined mane a few times.

  Princess Celestia closed her eyes and sighed.

  “Sister, stand back,” she said and took a step forward. “They deserve the truth.”

  “But, Tia…” Luna tried, but was interrupted by the stern look in Celestia’s eyes. The princess of the night looked down at the ground and nodded. She took a step backward, and let Celestia forward.

  “Come here, my little ponies,” Celestia said.

  The group was unsure whether they would leave Wired Fix or stay at his bed. After exchanging looks, they agreed to go to Celestia and Twilight.

  “Now, this might make things harder for you, but you don’t deserve the truth to be hidden any longer. I have had an idea of what might be the case ever since you left a week ago.”

  She took a deep breath.

  “Wired Fix might be the victim of a memory intrusion. And only one creature has ever had that ability.”

  Princess Luna looked back up and into the eyes of the five fillies.

  “We had hoped we defeated him a long time ago. But sadly, he returned not so long ago, leading Ponyville into a new period of chaos.”

  “Ya don’t mean..?” Applejack asked.

  “I’m sorry, my little ponies,” Celestia said. “But I’m afraid Discord has returned, and this time his final power has been released. Memory.”