Regression from Mind

Enough of her magic had returned for a few blasts if need be. For now though, she had to keep on going!

Which meant going to keep on screaming and leaping as an avalanche of houseplants, pictures, and tables targeted her.

Looking back constantly, Twilight ducked, rolled, and flipped in ways she never thought possible to avoid getting swallowed by the torrent of home decor. She never even knew she was this flexible.

Chalk it up to her current life-threatening circumstances?

Viewing an upcoming side hallway, she used a table angled to trip her hooves to vault forward much farther than normal.

On landing, she saw her chance to leave Mind's view.

With a counter-attack forming in her head, Twilight rolled into its safety as the tunnel of objects forcibly crashed past her. She could feel the wind roll on by as Mind followed his destructive creation.

One.

Two.

Three!

A few seconds after he ran past her, Twilight wanted to score a knock-out on him.

Sleep spell on the tip of her horn, she bolted into the hallway.

...Yet, Mind had already sailed on past, too focused on blazing forward.

Twilight sneaked to the corner where Mind sprinted on by, whispering to herself, “Guess he didn't notice me.”

She peeked her head into the corridor, really perplexed by what she saw.

The mountain of objects sat motionless halfway in, magical flow disappeared.

Wait, where did Mind go?!

Apparently, directly behind her.

Twilight's answer soon showed himself by magically picking her up into the air, then slamming the mare into the wall across. Stunned from the initial impact and secondary crash to the floor, Twilight wouldn't get her poise soon enough to face him.

Mind lifted the pile of materials up once more, intent on keeping Twilight stuck under their crushing weight.

"Get out of this," he said before launching the barrage her way.

Then, off it went.

Twilight sucked in air, then phased before being buried.

Mind didn't see Twilight phase, just as she hadn't seen him do a minute ago.

He felt he had won, yet hoped she was still alive. Just knocked out.

Couldn't let somepony so valuable just die.

He gave it a good few moments, then stepped up to the pile.

Putting an ear to it, he hoped to hear breathing.

…

Didn't hear a sound.

Sighing, Mind thought over what happened.

She's dead. Perfect. Just perfect.

He did -- had wanted somepony like her in the long-run. Could've saved him a lot of trouble.

What a wasted resource. Such a waste of a perfectly capable pony.

He turned back, planning on going to find somepony to clean the scene and dig the mare out to dig her a true grave.

Mind really should've expected more from Twilight, who was now the one behind him.

"Two can play your little game!", Twilight shouted as she slammed Mind into the ceiling. Before Mind could even think about firing at his opponent, he was hurled to the floor.

The team of guards had apparently regrouped, and advanced into the hallway where they heard screaming.

They soon got a view Twilight over a hurt Mind.

The soldiers brusquely assembled into two lines, aside the Unicorns being sent to the free hallway to obstruct her get-away.

Twilight knew she was getting boxed in, so she threw Mind at the larger of the two groups that enclosed on her position.

The two at front immediately caught him before he rocked their formation, motioning the others behind to move up while they asked a dazed Mind medical questions.

Twilight tried to teleport, but a shot hit right above her head, rattling her focus away.

The Unicorn who fired threatened, “Don't even try it.”

Spears lined one way, and magical blasts lined the next.

Twilight could feel herself become distraught and her heartbeat sound in her chest.

She feared for her life right now. Truly.

More than before.

Much more.

They were getting so close, moving in for the kill.

Twilight had tears in her eyes, “I...I-”

They paused.

...

Then, one of them softly explained, “Twilight. Calm down. You will be okay. Just let us take you back, and you'll be fine. Don't try to fight us. Simple, right? Okay? No sudden movements. Don't...force us.”

She couldn't tell which one said what as her eyes were lined well with liquid.

Twilight sat on the wall, shaking as her life flashed before her eyes.

...Then, something new flashed brighter.

They finally closed the gap, and Twilight's eyes began to glow.

They knew to expect this, and attempted to stab and shoot her to death.

Twilight floated above them all, and magically shielded herself from the onslaught.

Mind had rebounded from the dizziness and pain by then, and saw the astounding event of Twilight's magic fully unleashed.

She lifted everypony within both corridors up as easily as air, and choked them. Hard.

They all felt the air just as easily leave their lungs as magic wrapped itself snugly around their throats. Now, they had tears in their eyes from the difficult pain of a restrained airway. The burning sensation of losing precious oxygen. Unicorns fumbled at firing spells in Twilight's direction, which could have helped them if they weren't steadily going unconscious. Pegasi thrashed their wings to weakly attack their binds. Earth Ponies took most of Twilight's effort, being much more durable to stifle. After awhile though, they all stopped fighting.

Drifting herself to the ground then, her eyes lost their pure white tint.

She clutched her head, then heard thuds from bodies falling.

Her headache soon subsided. She looked up, viewing in shock what she had accomplished.

Making rounds to all of them, she was relieved to find they had only been horizontal from passing out. Not thankfully passing on.

Twilight let them sleep.

She had ground to cover.

Luna submitted to their imprisonment, “We're done. No hope of leaving here. I give in.”

Shining kept trying to hoist Celestia up over the bars, breathing shallowly as her weight outmatched his muscles, “Ughhhh! W-why! Must! You! Be! This damn h-heavy?! Can't you just fly the rest of the way?!”

Celestia tried to flap her wings, yet couldn't support flight enough to hover for more than a couple seconds.

Shining collapsed, breaking down from exhaustion.

And, Celestia used him to cushion her fall, breaking him further.

She quickly slipped off him, apologizing, “Oh, sorry, Shiny!”

He murmured out in pain, “It's cool. I'll be...fine.”

Kelly then entered again, singing in a motherly way, “Hello, little babies! Did you miss me?!”

They all replied hotly, “Buck no.”

Kelly had a bag with her, answering as if they'd said different, “So glad to hear! Now, I know it's very boring in there, even if there's three of you to keep each other company. So, I got you all a little something.”

Kelly untied the bag, lifted it above the crib on an unoccupied space, and dumped its contents onto the padded mattress. Play blocks for foals tumbled out into a mound of fun...if they were honestly baby ponies.

Colorful, numbered, lettered, non-consumable toys. Pretty thick, they bet. Perhaps, a little loud?

…

Possibly...exactly what they needed to be free of this childish prison!

Mentally coming to the same conclusion, they all drew back their fronthooves, block held in each, then proceeded to launch with abandon.

Kelly's eyes grew wide as the assault began, and she got smacked in the nose very quickly into the torment.

A little nosebleed formed, and she cupped her muzzle to keep the blood at bay.

She tried to reason with the foals as more of the toys fired her way, “N-now, sweethearts, mommy doesn't like it when you-”

Ow!!! Owowowow!!!

Right in the bucking chest?! Where my scar was?! Are you kidding me right now?!

She had just gotten to feeling better after her injuries a few days prior, and this wasn't supposed to be a painful experience.

It was supposed to be therapeutic!

She then dove for cover behind the changing table, trying to get some time to think.

Well...they are powerful little troublemakers. Maybe they just want something.

Kelly asked with cautionary words, “Little ones, are you hungry?”

A block rocketed past her head.

Perhaps...not so much.

She proposed another issue, “Potty?”

They, in turn, tried their hardest to hit her from behind her defensive position.

She took that as a no.

“Wanna get out of your crib for a little bit?”, she submitted to them, hoping for approval.

…

No launching of blocks her way! Hooray!

Okay, so that was the source of the problem!

She stepped out, noting their hooves had no more ammunition at the ready.

Kelly felt relieved, wiping the sweat from her forehead...and the blood still slightly running from her nose.

She gave them a talking-to as she lifted Celestia, Luna, and Shining from the crib to the carpet, "Mommy doesn't like being tormented, and you three are going to be good. This only will work this time on me, are we clear? Only this once! I love those cute faces, but won't be afraid to redden your flanks if this happens again. Understand?”

After a quick nod from each of them, Kelly pat their heads sweetly, and left for a quick moment to get her book on childcare.

Celestia and Luna both gleefully clapped their hooves, excited to be in an only-foal zone, which would make escaping so much easier!

Shining chuckled, leading them forward, “Alright, you two. Enough giggling like schoolfillies. Time to get out of here.”

They went to the doorway, yet were depressed immensely by the height of the doorknob.

Shining suggested once more with a blush, “Heh-heh...um, ladder again?”

Celestia and Luna cast him worried looks, yet sighed while agreeing.

…

“How am I the one on lift duty a-again?!”, Shining proclaimed as his back was tortured.

Celestia spoke to the base of their tower, “You're challenging gender stereotypes, Shining! Think about i-it!”

“What are you even say-ing?!”

“Instead of ladies first, it's stallions first. Haha, get it?!”

“I hate this right n-now.”

Luna saw the doorknob just a little higher than her precarious position, then said to her supporters, “Guys, I think I can get it. If...I just jump-”

Both ponies yelled at her, “Yeah, yeah! Do it already!”

Luna fell to peer pressure, and leaped for the knob.

She made it...kind of.

Celestia and Shining fell in a comical pile on the floor, yet quickly righted themselves.

After getting up, they saw in disappointment as Luna weakly tried to pull the locked door open.

A frightened Luna cried out, "I-I can't do it. Plan B, Plan B!"

Celestia said in a sweet manner, “We need you to get us out of here, sister. So, no Plan B. If you don't do it, I'll hug you still. Only with my hooves around your neck. So, do it.”

Shining didn't sugarcoat his message, “Either you get us out of here, or we're upset with you. Because if I have to be a darn foal for the rest of my days because you decided to quit early, you will be the outcast of the group that nopony talks to! I don't think you want that, Luna!”

Luna was more involved with not falling than their threats, “Yeah, well...I don't want to fall either! Will you two catch me if I give it my all?! Please!!!”

Celestia and Shining both rolled their eyes, then agreed, “Yes, we promise to catch you!”

Luna used all her strength to rotate the handle as far as possible, and felt her muscles burn from the intense workout she put them through.

...

After a whole minute of turning, she heard a clang of metal parting.

Then, let go to be caught by her former cellmates. Or, so...she thought.

Luna opened her tightly-shut eyes mid-way down to shockingly see them not hold to their end of the bargain.

She almost hit the ground, but her wings instinctively came to the rescue.

Gliding down at the last minute granted her only slightly less pain, “Ouch.”

Luna shook off the pain, then got up with the pounding and ringing of her head following right behind.

She clutched her forehead, cursing Celestia and Shining for breaking their promises, “Buck you two! I could have really gotten hurt, you bucking duo of liars!”

Celestia and Shining Armor were too busy staring up at something to pay her insults any attention.

Luna, with a raised eyebrow, questioned them, "What are you two looking at?"

Following the stares of her fellow foals, Luna also couldn't believe who now stood in the doorway.

Twilight opened the door to find them! Finally, Twilight could get her brother and the royal sisters out of here!

She quickly told them, “Come on, babies! Up on my back! Quickly, quickly!”

It was time to get out of this crazy castle!

Levitating them onto her back, Twilight decided to peek outside before being on her way. Just a precaution.

Which was an error on her part because somepony was standing in the way.

Kelly said as sweet as frosting, “Oh, hello there! Say, those wouldn't happen to be the children under my care, would they?”

Twilight's ears dipped as she lied with the most unconvincing face, “Yeah...but they were requested to come with me. Mind...said so.”

“Mind wanted them?”

“Yeah. And, right away, too! So, I'll just-”

“I can do it.”

Kelly blocked the door, not budging an inch.

“Well, I can take them off your hooves,” Kelly suggested as she reached over Twilight.

Twilight magically subdued the mare's hoof, speaking in a vexed tone, “I am the one Mind requested, so shouldn't I be the one to bring them to him?”

Kelly forcibly ripped her hoof from Twilight's grasp, then pointed to the unicorn's chest.

She raised a question that worried Twilight, “Aren't you supposed to be in uniform, maid?”

Twilight had her mouth open, trying to find a good lie.

…

Buck it.

Twilight used the tried-and-true method of removing her enemies from the picture, shoving Kelly into the wall with telekinesis.

Not hard enough, seeing as how Kelly got up from it with only a little twinge of soreness.

She rubbed her back, mentioning, “That hurt. Still...not stopping me!”

Then, she ran straight for Twilight, intent on delivering pain.

Twilight backed up into the nursery's backwall, fearing what the mare might do.

Kelly sprang into the air, and tried to bring her hooves punishingly down onto Twilight's head.

Twilight held the mare in the air above her, then rammed her into the nearby wall.

Kelly tried to break free, not even close to giving up. So, Twilight kept slamming away.

The wall itself began cracking. Twilight didn't notice since she was so busy with the sturdy brawler.

Twilight's magic needing a breather, she had no choice in releasing her berserk combatant. Kelly, upset and bruised, grabbed Twilight by the throat.

Lifting her up high, Kelly caught the foals in her free hoof as they fell.

Kelly decided to give Twilight a taste of her own medicine by throwing her into the crackling wall. The act demolished the wall, and sent Twilight on course with the ground.

Twilight had her revenge by flinging Kelly, along with the foals, to fall with her.

Both had a little time before they would crash into the dirt, which is all they believed they'd need.

Kelly was still in Twilight's grip, seeing as she was being pulled down faster.

The foals screamed and cried, yet that all ceased when Twilight gravitated them to her waiting hooves. They only whimpered now, seeing as how she would save them.

Kelly viewed as the hue around her body depleted, letting her know she could taste freedom.

…

Then, right after, the castle's real-estate. She wasn't getting up anytime soon.

Kelly's unconscious body had formed cracks in the ground, leaving a little crater from the impact.

Meanwhile, Twilight focused her magic, powering herself to form wings.

The breeze-riding constructs of magic rushed into motion, foiling Kelly's plan of execution.

Twilight, tiredly, soaked up as much flight time as possibly, lazily drifting off.

Nopony was around this moment, thankfully, so she had the liberty of floating privately.

She muscled up enough power to clear the golden gates of the royal sister's former home before her horn relented.

Twilight hit the ground ungracefully, side first. After her tumble, she laid with Celestia, Luna, and Shining in a drained hug.

They babbled babyish speak, probably worried for her from their tones.

She just breathed for a bit, letting her body finally rest.

…

Feeling fatigue creep in, she put the foals onto her back, then pushed herself up.

She shook her head of desires to collapse where she stood.

Twilight encouraged herself to not nod off, “No, no. No! N-no sleeping, Twilight! Stay up, dammit! Get going! Come on!”

She knew if she fell asleep they would be waiting for her once she woke up.

Safety first. Then, sleep. Quicker she got...wherever she was going, she could rest.

...Where, though?

Mind wanted to know what happened a few hours ago, “Tell me, how did she escape? Exactly.”

The guards all looked to one another.

The previous gatekeeper, who had been the only one actually keeping an eye on Twilight in her confinement, spoke before anypony else, “Sir, she escaped because everypony was...off their game. Including me.”

Mind thought on this for a second, then asked of the soldier, “What did happen? In detail. Please, tell me.”

“Well, I took Twilight where you told me to. And, had called on other guards beforehoof to leave their posts to assemble within her room. We had several assigned to each side-”

“I don't mean those details. I mean right before Twilight left.”

“Oh. Well...we had been staring at her. On-point. Our vision drilled into her every motion. Then, she suddenly shot a flare of magic into the air. You understand, her being Celestia's student, she can do stuff like that. Suddenly, we were all blind, and she was out into the open. Simply put.”

“...I have other sources saying differently.”

“Other...sources?”

“Yes. The maids. One was in a room beside Twilight's. She said she heard some of your squad playing cards? Then, your apparently so-called attentive force of soldiers began to throw insults across the room?”

“Okay...maybe what I have just said might not be the most accurate interpretation of the events that-”

“It is a false one. Most false.”

“...Fine, I was lying. Do...what you must.”

“You would stick up for the rest of your squad like that? Fully take the blame?”

“...Yes. Actually, I brought the cards. If not for me, none of this would have happened.”

“What is your name, guard?”

“...My name, sir?”

“Yes. Your name? You aren't really just faceless soldiers, I would like to believe.”

“Steelton, sir. Steelton Defense.”

“Steelton. Let me explain this to you, bringing cards to pass the time while watching a prisoner isn't the best idea. In fact, it is so terrible that I highly doubt you even did that. Your squad? Apparently, one did. Then, the others thought they would engage in that awful idea. I believe you are the only one who didn't lose concentration in your job, correct? Yet...you are taking all their blame. You are lying to me for them. And, not a single one of this squad has said a single word since you began talking. They should be thanking you. Not staying quiet to keep their jobs on-the-line. You are not to blame. They are.”

“Sir! Let me-”

“Do not worry, Defense. They will be fine. They will not be tortured or confined to a dungeon.  No, no. I have something better -- for them, worse – in store. They will have their pay cut. And, help the maids for a month. Anything a maid wants from them, they'll be tasked with getting it done. No matter what. And, if they still don't perform well after that, I will allow them two options. Leave the military, or be reduced to foals for sometime. That is the last consequence. There really couldn't be a third after that, you all understand.”

The soldiers shrugged, accepting their fates. At least, they weren't turned into babies right then.

That had to have been their main fear.

Done delivering their punishments, Mind focused on Steelton's. He popped in very close to Steelton, freaking the already edgy pony out.

Mind raised an eyebrow, wondering, “Not used to constant teleporters?”

Blushing, Steelton responded while becoming slightly less tense, "No. You just scared the every loving daylights out of me by randomly showing up directly in my face."

"Ah."

And, Steelton suddenly was much more alarmed after realizing Mind didn't give his punishment out yet, "Sir, what is your plan...for me?"

Mind nodded, seemingly thinking over a way to get back at Steelton for all he has done.

Then, replied, “For lying to me, having almost gotten a maid in trouble, and letting your friends off the chopping block because you care about them...nothing. Nothing at all.”

“N-nothing?”

“Correct. I do have a task for you, though. Because you, Steelton, show promise. For that, I wish for you to bring those foals back to the castle, and to deal with Twilight Sparkle as well. I trust you will do so, even if you lied to me. And, you can hoofle her however you wish. Kill her, or bring her back. Not really my concern, considering either benefits me.”

“T-thank you, sir?”

“Yes, yes. Thank you, too. So, we will discuss this in detail tomorrow. You don't have an issue with going into details, do you?”

“No...sir.”

“Excellent! Get a good night's rest, bountyhunter,” Mind stated with a half-serious, half- enthusiastic voice before teleporting off.

Steelton didn't know what just happened.

Or, if it was even a punishment or a reward.

...Guess I'll find out tomorrow.