Guiding Light

Guiding Light:

CHAPTER VII -

Rough Days Ahead

* * *

His breath was short; he felt like he was suffocating. Probably was - he’d been stuck in that cave for... how long? Perhaps a few months? No matter. It had been a long time.

Occasionally, they threw a meagre loaf of bread and a small bottle of water down the steps. There was no way for him to escape - he had become unable sometime after he was put here. He grew too weak and too famished to move quickly enough, and the brilliant light that poured down into the cave blinded him every time they opened the door.

When he got his meal, he would drag himself across the cold, smooth stone of the cave floor over to where his bread and water lay. He had to shoo away the rodents and insects that tried to get at the food, before quickly consuming the loaf. Every time he tried to ration his water, his temptation gave in, and his dry, itchy throat was cooled by the contents of the water bottle. However, the relief didn’t last long. He’d be thirsty in the next few hours. Regardless, he tossed the empty plastic container in a pile with the others.

Propping himself up against the cave wall, he felt his hooves along the ground for a while, until he found the worn wooden handle of his pickaxe. He lifted it off the ground and set it on his chest. Running his hoof over the handle, he could feel the rough outlines of the words he had carved into it with a small pebble, long ago.

He tried to remember what he had written, but failed. It had eluded him for a couple weeks. He didn’t write or think in that language any more. He’d adopted a new one, from the letters that surrounded him in this damp, dark, cold prison.

Even though his hooves were sore and his muscles were weak, he decided what he needed to do. The loaf of bread had been a little bigger this... week? He didn’t know. It was just a little bigger this time, and that gave him a little extra energy.

He turned himself around, and faced the wall, almost flat on his stomach against the ground. He tried to pull himself up the wall, but decided to save the strength he had left in order to accomplish his task. No, he wasn’t going to escape - that was pointless.

He was going to dig.

With all of his remaining endurance, he lifted the pickaxe as high as he could, closed his eyes, and swung it into the wall.

Everything turned white, and he screamed.

* * *

I woke in a cold sweat, breathing heavily. It had been my first nightmare since... Well, ever, as far as I could remember (which I couldn’t). I calmed myself and wiped the perspiration off my forehead.

Before I could contemplate my frightful dream, I noticed something peculiar. I listened closely. Outside my door, there were muffled shouts and I could hear spells being cast. I found such odd activity strange, and I looked at the clock mounted on the wall. It was only three o’clock in the morning - why was everypony making such a ruckus?

It was only then, when I heard the distinctive clang and snap of the rebel swords disarming Blackhoof guards’ swords, did I realize what exactly was going on, and started to panic. My mind raced. What should I do? Do I go out and fight? Do I stay here?

Hide.

I jumped, looking around for the pony who had just told me to hide. The room was small - there wasn’t any place to conceal any sized pony that I could see.

Hide.

It was definitely a voice, alright, but there was something... different.

Hide!

I realized that is was inside my head.

It wasn’t my own mind’s voice, that was for sure, but it was soothing and commanding and wise. I was doubtful of it, though; there was no place to hide in this tiny cubicle. The only way I could disguise myself was by using-

Invisibility.

But I don’t know how to turn invisible, I ‘replied’ back.

I could feel some sort of presence within me stir, as if it had acknowledged what I thought.

After a moment or two, I was struck by the strangest sense of deja vu, and felt a bit... Odd.

For some reason, I had a sudden moment of realization, and I DID in fact know an invisibility spell... Or did I? I hadn't known just a few seconds ago...

Nevertheless, I tested the spell, and I turned completely invisible, much to my satisfaction. Even though I knew I hadn't learned the spell, I couldn't help but feel stupid for not remembering, for some reason.

As I heard the shouts and clopping of hooves of the retreating rebels outside the door, I tucked into a corner of the room, and activated the spell, listening to the chaos.

Guards shouting orders... Hooves marching up the corridor... doors opening. They were checking the rooms, one by one. Getting closer. Kicking over furniture. In only a few seconds, they were at my door.

I held my breath.

The cold, metal door smoothly slid upward, and a dark, black-armored figure, decorated by razor-sharp spikes, peered into the tiny room, gripping his sword between his teeth.

Beads of invisible sweat poured off my forehead, down into my eyes. Did he know I was here?

After the longest few seconds of my life, the guard retracted his head, and slammed the door shut, rejoining his fellow soldiers and continuing into the briefing room and beyond.

I waited, holding up my invisibility spell, until all was silent. There was not a single hint of movement in the corridor beyond. Not a single cough, not a shuffling of armor or hooves, no ringing of magic. Taking faith in my own judgement, I opened the door to the hallway, and poked my head out cautiously.

I looked in either direction. What I saw utterly shocked and angered me.

Among the debris, stones, dirt and dust covering the ground were other, more obscene elements - fallen swords, bits of armor, arrows, snapped blades, pools of blood... and corpses... lots of corpses... most of which were fallen rebels.

Much like I had experienced when I was in the cave in Mason’s Mesa, viewing Blackhoof Guards standing by their slaughter, I was angry. Beyond angry, even. How could such vile things be allowed to happen in Equestria? And unknown to the rest of ponykind, even?

Checking each of the bodies for signs of life, and finding none, voices in the complex of corridors beyond the briefing room alerted me to the presence of nearby Blackhoof Guards. I quickly picked up the least blood-stained rebel sword I could find, and pressed my ear against the door to the briefing room. The voices were getting closer. Guards were patrolling. I ducked back into my room, and closed the door, activating my invisibility spell for good measure.

Soon, the Guards passed, and silence filled the air again. It was time to move, time to act. I gathered up my saddlebags and my few belongings. I fastened the armor I had taken to my breast. And, of course. I picked up the shard, placing it in my bag.

Once again exiting my tiny booth of a room, I checked the corridor, and headed out. The rebels had retreated down through the briefing room, so I’d follow the battle. Perhaps I could be of some use and take on the Blackhoof Guards from behind?

I pushed open the briefing room doors, to find the chairs knocked over, and the stone table cracked. But it was neither of these that really caught my eye.

Sitting right in the middle of the stone table was the candle.

I wasn’t about to let it leave my side for a second time, so I telekinetically picked it up. Curious about the candle, now that Hazy Sunrise had made it clear whose it was, I checked the underside for the inscription that I had missed.

True to her word, under the lip of the holder were small words printed in the bronze metal:

Murder and Obliteration are the Opposite of Salvation.

Tell me about it.

Oh well, I thought. Time to go reclaim the Hollow. Into battle, I go.

Find Agile Bolt.

I jumped. The voice honestly scared me. And I still didn’t know what it was, nor why it was in my head.

Why do I need to find her? I questioned.

Because I told you to.

And why in the name of Celestia should I listen to you?

Because I am the voice of knowledge.

The voice of... Solace... told me to... at the train station...

I had no idea what this ‘Voice of Knowledge’ was or how it was communicating with me, but, seeing as it was connected to Solace, who was seemingly connected to my rescue from the labour camp, and therefore connected to my amnesia, I knew at once that I had to do whatever this voice told me.

So, I went off to find Bolt.

* * *

Shouts of pain and clangs of metal on metal filled the air. The smell of blood and smoke lingered in my nostrils, and magic whizzed by from all directions.

This was the apex of the battle, where the rebels, backed against a wall with a jammed exit door, faced off against the superior forces of Iniquitous Lore’s Soldiers.

As much as I wanted to attack the soldiers from behind, I knew I had to find Bolt first. Thankfully, the Voice of Knowledge helped me navigate the labyrinthine tunnels of the Hollow, taking me past the final stand of the rebels, and down another corridor, away from the battle. Of course, I was invisible the whole time - better safe than sorry.

Heading back in a U-Turn down through another tunnel, I saw two guards standing post by a doorway into what I assumed was a common room. Trotting up to the duo, the Spirit quickly notified me this was where I needed to go.

After a moment or two another two soldiers opened the door leading into the room, and I had to quickly skirt around the guards and slide into the room before the door closed.

Upon entering, I could clearly see why there were guards in and out of this room.

It was filled with bound rebel ponies, being watched by three guards. Each pony was wearing either hoof-locks, unicorn rings or pegasi bracers. They were at the mercy of their black-armored jailers.

Scanning over the captured rebels quickly, I found a few faces I recognized - including Rook - but no sign of Bolt. I thought for a while about the Spirit’s decision to guide me here, when it evidently wanted me to find Bolt. It should have been clearer - it wanted me to free the rebels.

But how?

I felt my invisible flank for the rebel sword that hung there. I didn’t want to use it, nor did I feel comfortable using it nor did I actually know how to use it in the first place.

What did that leave? Setting the captured rebels free to charge the guards? Too risky.

Magic, perhaps?

Well, I DID know a temporary paralysis spell, but I really couldn’t take out three guards at once, not to mention the guards just outside the door...

It hit me.

Trotting up to the nearest unicorn, I tried to whisper as softly as I could:

“Whatever you do, don’t panic. Don’t show emotion. Don’t do anything. I’m invisible right now, and I’m here to get you out. I’m going to unlock your horn ring. Do you know a paralysis spell?”

The unicorn mare, doing exactly as I said, albeit, glancing towards my invisible figure, gave the slightest of nods.

“Good,” I said. “I’m going to deactivate your ring, but I need you to keep it on. I need to make sure that you can still use magic even while still wearing it. I don’t need the guards noticing you without your ring.”

I was about to levitate the Key - the one that Bolt had given me from when she broke me out of the labour camp - out of my saddlebags with my telekinesis, but I thought better of it - the moment an object stopped touching my body, it became visible. Instead, I grabbed it with my mouth, and unlocked the mare’s ring.

Stowing the Key again, I asked the mare to test her magic ever so slightly. Giving me a nod, I told her to wait for me to make a distraction so that all five guards were visible, and then fire her paralysis spell at one of them.

Repeating this same speech to every unicorn in the room, I was prepared to make my distraction after about five minutes.

Deeply breathing in and out, I prepared myself for this, hoping that everything would work as I had planned.

Avoiding contact with the guards, I knocked three times on the metal door, taking a flanking position beside it as one of the guards went to open it, thinking that one of the other guards on the opposite side of the door had knocked.

However, the door opened before he even got to it, as the guards in the corridor opened the door first. I moved swiftly out through the opening between the guards, back out into the corridor, behind the guards.

“Yes?” both of the guards, inside and out, who had gone to open the door, asked simultaneously. They were both confused.

“Did you knock?” the one on the inside asked.

“No, we thought you did,” the other replied.

Now.

“NOW!”

As soon as the word escaped my mouth, I discarded my invisibility spell and cast a glowing green bolt of magical paralysis energy at the second guard in the hall.

Inside the room, unicorns were doing the same, The three guards fell like dominoes, as the first guard in the corridor turned to face me, drawing his sword.

He dropped it before he could take another step, as another green spell hit him in the back.

As I walked back into the room, the rebels were already stripping the gear off the paralysed soldiers, and they poured out into the corridor, heading back, further into the Hollow, towards the armory.

I spotted Rook and stopped him before he could go any further.

“Rook, where’s Bolt?” I inquired.

“By Celestia, Steel, that was you?” He seemed a bit shocked at my feat. Hell, I was a bit shocked about how well it worked myself.

“Yes, I know, ‘thank you’ and all, but really, I need to find Bolt. Where is she.?”

Rook frowned. Not good. “They’ve taken her deeper into the Hollow for interrogation.”

Not good.

“They’ve been looking for her for a long time...” he added.

Not good.

“Do you know where exactly they’ve taken her? Can you lead the way?”

“Yeah, I know. It’s not anywhere near the armory, though. Complete opposite direction. I’ll be going in unarmed, unprotected.”

I looked over his shoulder at the paralysed guard.

“Take his chestplate,” I offered.

Rook glanced at the guard, considered for a moment, then shrugged. It was a start. He started unfastening the Blackhoof armor.

And now for a suitable weapon. Earth ponies generally carried swords...

...Like the one I had no use for, hanging from my flank.

Perfect.

When Rook had fastened the armor to his torso, I levitated my sword toward him.

“Now you’re armed. Let’s not waste any more time. Lead the way.”

* * *

She’s in there.

It was the Spirit that made me aware that the dark room of the rebel prison was where Bolt was being held.

But that fact was painfully reinforced by Bolt’s cries of pain as she was tortured.

Rook’s face was twisted up in a snarl. We looked into the open room.

There were three soldiers surrounding a metal chair that Bolt was restrained to - One guard behind the chair, and one on either side. The soldiers were shouting questions, and mercilessly beating Bolt with metal batons every time she failed to answer.

Rook turned to me. “I can take the one in the back out by surprise. There’s a back passage into that room. I need you to make a distraction, though. Can’t handle three soldiers at once. And you’re pretty ingenious with distractions.”

Well, if you say so.

“Not a problem. Just wait in the shadows, and I’ll distract them when I’m ready. I’ll give you thirty seconds to get ready. Go.”

Rook nodded, then took off back down the hall, into another door.

I counted to twenty, then entered the room, turning invisible.

“...last chance to answer,” the interrogator addressed Bolt. “Why did you take a single pony out of the labour camp?”

My disembodied voice echoed throughout the dark room. “Because the rebellion needed somepony good at distractions.”

Bam. Distraction.

Rook and I moved as one. As I uncloaked myself, appearing in between the two guards on either side of Bolt, Rook’s hind legs shot out of the shadow, bucking the lights out of the rear soldier, who crumpled onto the dusty ground. At the same time, I let off a paralysis spell at the soldier to my left, while bucking the one on the right in the face. While my buck wasn’t nearly as powerful as Rook’s, it bought me just a little more time to unleash another two paralysis spells.

We had done it. I used my Key to unlock Bolt’s restraints and her bracer. However, as soon as she did, she slumped over and almost fell onto the ground had I not caught her with my telekinesis.

Turning her over, I could see all the bruises that the soldiers had given her. At that point, I feared for her life. I quickly checked her pulse and listened to her muzzle for breathing.

Thankfully, she was still alive. Beaten unconscious, but alive.

“We’ll need to get out of here as soon as possible,” Rook stated. I agreed. Bolt could recover with time... hopefully. We really didn’t have any medical supplies. We’d need to catch up with the rebels and make our escape from the Hollow. Surely, more Blackhoof troops would arrive sooner or later.

Slinging Bolt over my back, as I had done the previous day, Rook and I made our way back towards the raging battle. As I activated my invisibility spell, I paused to observe.

Most of the Blackhoof guards were on the ground, paralysed, with the remaining few caught fighting two fronts; the massive rebel force they had been fighting before, plus the roomful of rebels I had released on their opposite side.

Ducking back out of sight, I deactivated my invisibility spell. I motioned to Rook that we needed to help Bolt somehow.

Rook nodded, then trotted around the corner, back to the battle. I heard his voice a few seconds later.

“MEDIC!”

As I turned Bolt onto her back, I quickly assessed the amount of damage she had taken. I felt her ribs and her legs, checking for broken bones. I couldn’t feel any. That didn’t mean that some weren’t fractured, however. She also had numerous cuts and bruises all over her breast and legs. She might have a concussion, as well.

Rook returned with a purple and blue unicorn, bearing white and red medical saddlebags. At once, the field medic used his magic to check Bolt’s condition more effectively. He then opened his medical kits, rolled out some gauze, and applied it to her cuts. When he finished, he turned back to Rook and I to lay it on us.

“No broken or fractured bones, thankfully. No concussion, either. She wasn’t hit in the head. Worst she suffered were some deep gashes. She’ll be sore for a couple days, but other than that, she’s fine. I’d recommend that she rest for at least twenty-four hours.”

WIth that, the medic turned and left, off to tend to other ponies.

I looked up at Rook. “Now what?” I asked.

“Now,” he said, “We wait for the battle to simmer down. After that, Hazy Sunrise - assuming she survived - will have orders for us. Until then, we wait.”

And so we did.

* * *

It was about 45 minutes later that the sounds of magic being cast and the clanging of swords finally stopped. Rook got up, and walked back towards the battle. Slinging Bolt over my shoulders, I did the same. The rebels were already moving the paralysed Blackhoof soldiers into rows, while stripping them of their arms and armor. At the foot of the crowd of exhausted rebels stood Hazy Sunrise, already barking orders.

“...all of you to comb back through the Hollow and prepare for evacuation. Move the guards, take as much gear as we can carry, gather up the dead. We will make a funeral pyre by the front gate. After that, we move. And stay out of the back tunnels. One of them collapsed yesterday. Get to it, soldiers!”

With that, every rebel quickly snapped off a “Yes, ma’am!” and got to work. They moved as one, the sound of their hooves like thunder. We might as well help out. I was technically a rebel soldier now.

“Let’s go. We need to gear up,” I said.

“True,” agreed Rook. “But you’re not going to really do any body-moving with Bolt on your back. I’ll help my brethren in that department, you get us some gear. Food, water, medical supplies, tools, the works.”

I nodded. We took to separate paths. First stop was the sick bay. It was just down from the prison. As I passed the open prison hallway, rebels were already removing the still-paralysed Blackhoof soldiers’ gear, and lining their unmoving figures into the corridor. At the sick bay, I found a few other ponies already scrounging what was left. Heading deeper into the stockrooms, I snatched up two pairs of medical bags with my telekinesis, making sure they were complete. Satisfied with the amount of medical supplies, I left the sick bay.

After that, I headed down to the kitchens, stopping in a storeroom along the way to pick up a few saddlebags. Upon arriving at the kitchens, I quickly started filling three of the saddlebags with vegetables, nutrient bars, and bottles of water; enough for a couple of days.

Last stop was the armory. I would have to pass back through the bottleneck of the briefing room and the barracks to get to it. Plus, there was a janitor’s closet along the way. It was bound to have some tools.

Walking through the corridor, in the direction of the barracks, I noticed that the influence of the the Voice of Knowledge had been dormant for some time. I tried talking to it mentally, but got no response. I’d have to study that shard later.

Passing through the wrecked briefing room, I dreaded what was on the other side of the door, in the barracks. Peeking past the bulkhead, a dozen rebels were moving both paralysed Blackhoof soldiers... and dead rebels, Dark, rusty red blood stained the rocky ground. I shuddered, trying not to look.

It made me angry at Iniquitous Lore. How could he have done this? He wasn’t innocent like the soldiers he had brainwashed. This was all his doing. I hoped I would meet him one day, just so I could personally buck him in the face.

Calming down and pushing feelings of anger aside, I found the janitor’s closet I was looking for. Pushing the door open, I spotted a toolbox. Bingo. There was only one pair of saddlebags left. I filled one of the bags with all the tools inside the toolbox, including an extra Key. The other bag, I left empty. If we found something of interest or of use on our journey, we could stow it there.

Further down the corridor, I headed into the armory. Dozens of rebels were already picking the place clean. I hope they left some gear behind. What did we need, anyway? Rook had the sword I had given him, all I needed was my magic... I guess all we needed was a spare dagger for Bolt, and perhaps a bow and some arrows. Oh, and maybe some fabric armor for Bolt.

I quickly made for the chest of armor in the storage room. Pushing past a couple ponies who were also perusing the chest, I quickly picked out a thick, protective tunic. Turning to the weapon racks, I spotted a bow and levitated it towards me, along with a full set of arrows in a quiver. I couldn’t find a dagger, though. I was about to walk out and find Rook when I spotted a pony pushing a wheelbarrow full of weapons. I trotted over to him, and asked if I could look for a dagger in the pile. He politely agreed, and I found a dagger similar to the one Bolt had been using just the day before. Bob’s your uncle. All set.

Daring Venture was damn angry.

Curse that son of Lore’s, he thought.

Trapped deep within the back tunnels of the Hollow, he had tried for hours, calling for help. Nobody heard him, nobody came. The word had spread that one of the tunnels had collapsed and they were unsafe.

There would be reinforcements, Venture knew. Whether or not the Rebels won the battle he knew was raging above, more troops would arrive. They’d comb down here, and then they’d find him.

Until then, all he had to do was fume at Midnight Spectre’s actions. That thickheaded, angsty teenager had threatened his life for what, his father’s affection? Other motives?

He only wondered why he was so concerned with the information that Venture had anyway... about that pony. The one he had delivered to Ponyville, not a week or two ago. And now he was back. He didn’t know how. He didn’t know why. He knew one thing.

He had to inform Lore.

About an hour later, I was standing next to Rook, both of us surrounded by a sea of Rebels. Bolt had come to, and she was standing shakily next to me, after dismissing my attempts to have her rest. She felt is was her duty to stand at attention for the ceremony.

We were in the cleft of rock that led up to the disguised entrance to the rebel fortress. A funeral pyre was burning there, as all of us saluted. Hazy Sunrise had given a speech. Tears had been shed by some, and quiet solemnity followed. After a few minutes, and the fire started burning out, we all turned, following Hazy Sunrise out into the barren wastes of the Badlands. Where we were heading, I did not know.

It was at that moment the Voice decided to offer its suggestions once again.

Stay together with Rook and Agile Bolt. Follow the rebels wherever they go.

I looked to Rook and Bolt. It was time to leave.